Between the Mists
by Sonata IX
Summary: Mortal Kombat: Conquest In episode 4, our heroes find a strange red crystal with the power to travel to any realm. What's the story behind the crystal and how will it affect the future? Rayden&OC, Rayden-centric
1. Prologue: A Long, Long Time Ago

AUTHOR'S NOTES: In February 2007, I decided to completely rewrite this story. It was previously called "Future Mist". This looks next to nothing like the original version. If the original wasn't so terribly written I would have left it up as a separate story.

This is based on Mortal Kombat: Conquest, the TV series, NOT the MK games or movies. Some details may be different from canon simply because of my limited knowledge.

DISCLAIMER: My 'original' characters Oberon and Titania are based very very very loosely on the faerie king and queen from countless tales. And yes, their homeland is based on the magical realm from the movie The Labyrinth. There's no one named Fog in MK:C, so I'm claiming him. That's about it though.

QUICK SUMMARY: [Mortal Kombat: Conquest] In episode 4, our heroes find a strange red crystal with the power to travel to any realm. Rayden says peaceful strangers who came long ago died and left the crystal there. What's the story behind the crystal and how will it affect the future? [Rayden&OC, Rayden-centric]

Prologue: A Long, Long Time Ago

_Live without the sunlight  
Love without your heartbeat  
I, I can't live within you_

Once upon a time, two children lived in a castle at the center of a great labyrinth. They weren't _really_ children, any more than any immortal being with neither beginning nor end can be a child, but their hearts were young and they ruled their lands kindly and generously, if not always wisely. Their people, elves, dwarves and all manner of faeriefolk, lived in relative peace and happiness.

Titania, all golden hair and twinkling eyes and gaiety, was well loved by all. Gifted with foresight, she granted guidance to any who asked and delighted in passing her advice in the form of riddles. Riddles and tricks were her passion, and though she occasionally rumpled feathers with her pranks, none could hold the grudge for long. She always seemed to have a playful smirk on her face. Only her brother knew the sadness that darkened it when she was alone.

Oberon had a solemn countenance, dark where his sister was fair, though they had the same pale skin and eyes. He took his people's welfare seriously and was ever holding court and issuing proclamations. He had a gift for finding truth and it made him a fair and just ruler. In spite of this, he had an easy laugh that tended to startle his subjects when it broke through his somber mask. Titania delighted in teasing smiles from him whenever it was least appropriate.

Though Oberon found comfort in his daily tasks of ruling, Titania found only loneliness. In all the land, of all the variety of creatures, there were none like her save for her brother. She longed to visit the neighboring realm, _Earthrealm_, as so many of their subjects did. Denied that, she withdrew from the world to spend hours with her magic crystals, lost in visions of the mortals.

Titania's wish became Oberon's, for he could not bear to see his sister so forlorn. He determined to grant Titania her heart's desire. Unable to abandon his kingdom, he sent his goblin servants to Earthrealm, bidding them find an unwanted human child to bring back with them. When they returned with a babe wrapped in rags with eyes that matched Titania's, Oberon pronounced himself pleased. Then, much to everyone's shock, he ordered them all out of the castle and barred the doors.

Distraught and without leadership for the first time in their long existence, the people fell into confusion. They wailed and wept. They squabbled over every decision. Charlatans emerged, claiming to possess the foresight or truthsense of their beloved leaders. Lies and deceit threatened to tear the realm apart.

At last, when all hope seemed lost, the castle gates swung open. A new king emerged, a man the people had never seen before, a man not of their world. A man with one brilliant blue eye and one forever darkened by its enlarged pupil - the sign of one who had wielded too much magic for far too long. Possessed of Titania's impish temper and Oberon's dark brooding nature, the new king wielded magic unlike any other. He had neither truthsense nor foresight, yet he managed to tame the land into a semblance of obedience.

He claimed no knowledge of the previous rulers.

Brother and sister were never seen again.


	2. Chapter 1 – Kindred Spirits

AUTHOR'S NOTES: We begin this story in the distant past as seen in Episode 17, when Shang Tsung was training to be Earthrealm's champion.

Chapter 1 – Kindred Spirits

_Under the weight of your wings  
Should ever we meet on your side of your stereo  
I will pretend I know not of your thoughts  
And even the way that they mirror my own  
I'll take you away in the way that you take me and go where I go_

Rayden was relaxing, actually _relaxing_, when he felt the portal open. Nothing unusual there, Earthrealm was the crossroads between many worlds and received countless foreign visitors every day. What _was_ strange was the power he felt passing through this one. He swore under his breath. He knew of no reason why another god (a pair of them even!) would visit Earthrealm. No _good_ reason.

"So much for R&R," he muttered.

With a rumble of thunder, he vanished and reappeared moments later at the edge of one of the larger cities, just outside the forest. The portal had actually appeared within the trees and he had entertained the small hope that the immortals had either stayed there or headed away from the city. This close, he could tell it wasn't so.

"Things couldn't be easy for once, could they?" he asked the trees with a roll of his eyes before vanishing again.

He debated warning his current Mortal Kombat trainee, but decided against it. The boy was too headstrong by half. Stubbornness was a good feature, especially in a warrior, but arrogance and pride were less useful. Even a fighter of his skill could be killed if he set out to challenge a pair wandering of gods. Besides, Rayden preferred to leave such dealings to Master Cho, a wise and able teacher.

He reappeared in the central marketplace, a ragged gray robe covering his features. The noise and general hubbub covered the thunder that heralded his arrival. Acting the part of the beggar, he faded into the edges of the crowd while his eyes searched for the outsiders. If they were smart, it could take him hours to spot them.

Or…they could make it obvious.

Perched on the high roof of a nearby inn was a very otherworldly duo. The man stood on the ledge, hands tracing glowing shapes in the air as his eyes scanned the city. At his feet sat a woman basking in the sunlight as her legs dangled down the front of the building. She kicked her feet with childish innocence and her long blonde hair drifted and curled behind her. It took Rayden a moment to realize why the hair bothered him: it wasn't just fluttering in the wind but truly defying gravity as if it were underwater. The pair was completely oblivious to the atonished murmur of the crowd that was growing on the street below them.

Rayden straightened, pushing back the hood of his disguise as he frowned upwards. Neither of them looked familiar to him and their outlandish clothing was like nothing he'd seen before. The woman's long red skirt was made of layers and layers of a gauzy material that glittered with golden sparkles in the sunlight and floated around her ankles as effortlessly as her hair. She wore a matching midriff-baring vest with a high green collar that turned into a plunging neckline. The vest gapped open just enough to be tempting, but was held closed with criss-crossing black laces.

Beside her, the man wore a similar vest of dark green with a gold collar and matching loose green pants. Bands of gold were fitted around the waist and ankles of the pants. The contrast of green and gold with his dark curling hair made him look both powerful and handsome. Both strangers wore soft black slippers.

But what were they _doing_? The man's drawing was growing more and more complex, glowing colors layered over glowing colors. Yet his eyes were fixed in the distance, never looking at his hands.

Then Rayden realized the girl was staring at him, her pale eyes narrowed and a sly smile on her face. She tugged the man's leg and he blinked rapidly as he looked down at her. He wrapped his hands around the glowing rainbow and brought them together, the light disappearing into his palms. Then he offered a hand to the girl and drew her to her feet. The two stood arm in arm, casually surveying the crowd below them, and then, regally, stepped off the edge of the roof.

Amidst the gasps of fear and wonder, Rayden sighed and folded his arms across his chest. When the two alit in the courtyard, he wasn't surprised to find them both watching him. The crowd milled around him, unwilling to enter the courtyard but equally unwilling to leave. As Rayden stepped through the low gate, the people hushed in anticipation. As he neared the strangers, the man stepped protectively in front of his beautiful companion.

He gave the man a grim smile and received a curt nod in return. After the show they'd just put on, Rayden was surprised at the wariness. "Welcome to Earthrealm," he said tersely. "You're here because…?"

The man studied him suspiciously, but replied in a bored voice. "Oh, just visiting, I think. My sister is madly in love with the place, though I've yet to see anything so wondrous about it."

Ignoring the slight on his realm, Rayden peered around the man at his companion. "Unusual tastes," he quipped.

She grinned impishly, showing none of her brother's uneasiness at meeting the local deity. "You wouldn't agree?"

The man turned to look at her. "You know him?"

"Of him," she admitted, stepping closer.

Her brother gave her a strange look. "You've Seen him then?" Rayden caught the peculiar emphasis and frowned curiously.

Her eyes were distant as she recited, "This realm is ever clouded, but bright rays still manage to pierce the darkness. There is one who protects the light." She lifted a hand to gently touch his silver hair. His eyes followed the movement, momentarily entranced. "The Protector. His face was hidden from me."

Rayden gripped her wrist gently and stepped away from her touch. "Yes, I am Rayden, god of thunder and the protector of Earthrealm. Who _are_ you? What do you want here?" This close, he could sense a strong power within her. Though her brother was just as immortal as she was, he seemed to possess a mere fraction of her talent.

She shrugged delicately. "Like we said, just visiting." Something in her voice made it sound like she wouldn't mind doing a lot more than just visiting. Her brother had dropped his attitude of studied arrogance and looked to be smothering a laugh. Rayden glowered at her and she hastened to add, "I am called Titania and this is my brother Oberon. I've studied this realm for a long time. I only want to learn more about it."

"Don't you have your own realm-" Rayden cut himself off. He sounded petulant even to his own ears.

Oberon cast his eyes skyward and interrupted. "Of course we have our own realm. Surely you recognized us as easily as we recognized you. And at that, you can see we're hardly threatening."

"You, not so much of a problem. But her," Rayden locked eyes with Titania. "Big problem."

Oberon cast his sister a bemused look and she shrugged innocently. "Walk with me, protector of Earthrealm," he said coolly. He drew Rayden towards the street. The crowd quickly scattered. Oberon didn't seem to notice.

"My sister is very precious to me, and Earthrealm is very precious to her. I gifted much of my power to my heir when we left, to hold in trust. Titania is very stubborn and she would have no peace, nor would I, until her curiosity about this realm was sated. She is _obsessed_ with humans." He paused, eying Rayden critically. "But then, you would understand that. You are very like them, while we are nothing like those in our realm."

"You really expect me to believe this is a simple pleasure trip?" Rayden asked.

Oberon shrugged. "Why not? Our subjects do it all the time; why shouldn't we? I have to admit, I find the myriad cultures of this realm fascinating. For the chance to experience them rather than merely studying them from afar…"

They had strolled some distance from the inn by now. Rayden stopped walking. "You seem very fond of this place. How do I know you're not here to claim it for yourself?" _Like everyone else,_ he added silently. "The laws of Mortal Kombat _will_ be observed."

"Mortal Kombat?" The other man paused, eyes drifting shut reflectively. He whistled softly. "It _was_ Earthrealm, wasn't it? Titania should have reminded me. Even though our subjects are frequent guests in your realm, they've never had anything to do with the tournament." He fixed Rayden with a piercing stare. "Is it safe here?"

The god's voice was full of quiet laughter. "It's never dull," he responded with a pointed look, first at his guest, then back towards where Titania waited.

A small child had approached and shyly offered a flower. The goddess was clearly enchanted. She accepted the flower and touched the child's forehead in mute blessing, much as she did with her own subjects. Then she pulled a coin from the girl's ear and offered it to her with a flourish. The child's eyes shone with wonder before she rushed back into the crowd with her prize.

Following Rayden's gaze, Oberon stepped closer, gripping the other man's arm. "As I said, my sister is very precious to me. If I had known this realm was dangerous... Titania _must_ be protected and I fear I am no longer up to the task." He cast Rayden a pleading look.

Rayden blinked. "You're asking me to...?" His title of Protector normally applied on a grander scale than just two wandering gods. On the other hand... He pursed his lips in thought.

Escort a beautiful woman on a private tour showing off the best features of his realm, which she supposedly found as wonderful as he did? A goddess no less, whom he was already considerably attracted to? It was either his lucky day or the most enticing trap he'd ever seen.

"One condition," he said slowly. "Her power must be sealed."

Oberon frowned. "She can't protect herself without her magic."

"I'm more worried about protecting humanity from _her_."

A woman had scooped up the child up Titania had blessed, and bowed with wide-eyed awe towards the goddess. Then she turned to another woman and began talking animatedly. Soon there was a small group of bowing, smiling women and children outside the inn. Titania preened, posing in a halo of sunlight, her hair and skirts glittering around her. Rayden couldn't help staring in appreciation before jerking his eyes away.

"She's going to start a new religion if she's not careful," he grumbled.

The dark-haired god sighed. "She's not used to blending in. But I see what you mean. Fine then, but only to a reasonable level. And I insist on doing it myself."

"Good, and I insist on helping." Clapping his new 'friend' on the back, Rayden started back to Titania. He heard a frustrated growl behind him and then Oberon pushed past.

"Wait. I'll explain it to her," he said gruffly as he hurried by. Titania's new fans scattered back into the crowd at his approach. Rayden crossed his arms, rocking back on his heels as the siblings bent their heads close together in conference.

He tried to marshal his thoughts as he waited. He wasn't sure what had made him agree to Oberon's request, except that his guests were either ridiculously naive or the most 'normal' gods he'd ever met. He snorted. All the immortals he knew were perversely power-hungry. He was beginning to think he was an oddity amongst his race. Or maybe he _was _too close to the humans.

Oberon was beckoning him forward. Titania's face was a mixture of frustration and nervous excitement.

"But I wanted to see Earthrealm with _you_!" she was imploring her brother as Rayden stepped within hearing.

Oberon shushed her. "Of course you will, but it'll be safer with someone who has power here." Rayden quietly tucked that knowledge away. Oberon was obviously not a threat, but that he acknowledged it so easily spoke again of either great sense or great cowardice. Oberon didn't seem the type to cower.

Titania pouted, then turned a calm smile on Rayden that left him feeling completely disconcerted.

"You understand why this is necessary?" he asked.

She waved a hand dismissively. "Who wants to work on vacation? I'm certainly not going to spend the trip granting wishes." Still, she flinched when he stepped towards her.

"It won't hurt," he told her gently.

Titania flushed and nodded. She squeezed her eyes shut and waved her hands helplessly. "Do it now! Before I think about it too much."

Rayden and Oberon lifted their hands in unison. A glow briefly surrounded the trio and when it faded a single crystal ball hovered before Titania. She cracked an eye open cautiously and then lifted her hands to catch the crystal before it fell. "That's it?" she asked, but the men ignored her.

"You realize it will take both of us to undo this," Rayden said mildly. "You're placing a lot of faith in me when we've just met."

Oberon merely smiled. "Your realm, your rules. Besides, I'd know if you were lying." He paced to his sister's side and raised an eyebrow at Rayden expectantly.

An awkward pause followed. Oberon looked at Rayden. Rayden looked at Titania. Titania looked at them both and giggled.

"So," Rayden asked at last, suddenly feeling more like a babysitter than an escort, "What do you want to do first?"

* * *

_I _am_ a babysitter! _Rayden groaned to himself.

Titania may be a queen in her own realm, but in his she was a stranger. She approached everything with a wide-eyed innocence that Rayden found both aggravating and…inspiring. He found himself smiling in response to her delighted laughter at each new discovery, especially since so many of them corresponded to his own reasons for loving Earthrealm.

Beyond all else she loved the people. She spent each morning just watching them intently as they went about their daily lives, but there was a curious warmth in her stares, as if she wished to encourage them down the road to happiness. When he remarked on it, she blithely replied that with her full power she _could_ direct them and gave him a brief summary of her foretelling abilities. His admiration of her rose. With such power, she could have anything she wanted; instead, she yearned to help the simplest folk of the realm.

"Do you ever see your own future?" he questioned once.

Her reaction was as solemn as he'd ever seen her. She stared at him intensely. "Not mine, not mine. Not yours. Not Oberon's." She shivered. "Not anyone who is close to me." Seeing his startled expression, she explained quietly, "If you knew that one you loved would die tomorrow, what would you do to prevent it? What if one other person had to die instead? What if a hundred? Worlds have been destroyed for less. No, that burden I will not bear."

Rayden found Oberon to be a surprising relief from Titania's innocent exuberance. Titania's brother took obvious delight at his sister's joy, but spent more time studying the city than its people. The light drawing he'd made the first day turned out to be a multilayered map, each layer a different color of glowing lines that Oberon manipulated with a twist of his hand. He had not only drawn the streets, alleys and fountains, but the sewers and underground water sources as well. Rayden was impressed, and couldn't help but be pleased when Oberon remarked on the sophistication of the architecture and infrastructure. "Our people rely on magic for so many things," he confessed, shaking his head after Rayden explained indoor plumbing.

Every morning Titania expected Rayden to escort her to the town, where her study of humanity recommenced. She chose a different role for each visit. Today a lady, tomorrow a beggar, then a merchant, then a traveling entertainer. The last made him chuckle, especially when she produced six colorful balls and performed a juggling act in the market square.

But as soon as they left the village, her cheerful countenance vanished, replaced with a quiet thoughtfulness as she reviewed and cataloged the events of the day.

Oberon soon grew tired of the simple town and began venturing to other villages and cities. He had enough magic left for simple teleportation. Rayden provided him with some plain, ordinary maps...he'd never tried to create anything with lines of light and doubted he'd make the best cartographer. Rayden found himself spending more and more days alone with Titania, and of course his mind turned to...other pursuits.

Initially he had flirted shamelessly with her, but the nimble goddess parried each of his advances with the innocence of an angel. At last he had to conclude that either she truly was amazingly naive, or she was even more clever than he thought and trying to subtly inform him of her disinterest. "I _would _get stuck with the one woman in the entire realm capable of resisting my incomparable charms," he grumbled. That she was not only beautiful but like-minded only increased his desire.

He heard a soft laugh and spun quickly to see Titania emerging from the cottage. She was wearing a coarsely woven robe that concealed her luscious curves, with a deep hood that implied some sort of religious position. "Is something the matter, my Lord?" She insisted on addressing him as such. "I am ready to go to town." Her voice trilled over the words as if going 'to town' were a special treat.

Well, Rayden conceded, for her it _was _a special treat and there was true delight in her eyes every morning as they started out. He could see why her brother and her subjects were so devoted to her.

With a long-suffering sigh, more to tease her than anything, he offered her his arm and led the way.


	3. Chapter 2 – Want

Chapter Two – Want

_And then she was real, no longer a fantasy, and I was driven to ecstasy,  
reveling in being alive once more.  
And then she felt, she was, somehow she belonged;  
she was mine, she was the worlds: such a perfect gift.  
And then, suddenly, out of nowhere, she smiled..._

Several uneventful weeks after Rayden had begun playing escort, Titania asked if he didn't have other responsibilities as Protector of the Realm.

He blinked in surprise, then stopped to think about it. He hadn't really been paying much attention, but Earthrealm _had_ been remarkably quiet lately – unusual with Mortal Kombat approaching in a few short months. He should probably check up on his champion. Then again, Master Cho was a highly skilled teacher and more than capable of training warriors and keeping them in line. Rayden preferred it that way, so he could keep his distance. Mortals died so easily in the tournament.

Still, Titania's question gave him an opening. The constant attraction he felt was beginning to wear on him. Under the cover of other duties, he could take some time far away from the innocent temptress.

That evening, Rayden slipped out after the girl had retired for the night. He hadn't heard a thing from Oberon in the past few days and, as the rest of Earthrealm was progressing as peacefully as it ever managed, he assumed Titania's wayward sibling was keeping out of trouble.

So he felt he had earned some time at the tavern with a full mug of ale and a gorgeous girl on his knee. Preferably a blonde. He'd always had a weakness for blondes.

Other duties. Right.

The barmaid more than the alcohol was the reason why he didn't notice when Titania left the hut.

Nor did he realize that she was seeking him, not even when she used her limited magic to track him to the tavern.

He didn't see her walk through the door and stop dead in her tracks when she saw the wench of his choice tittering and wiggling suggestively in his lap.

And he _certainly_ didn't notice the jealous gleam in her eyes as he lifted the buxom blonde in his arms and staggered to a private room.

In fact, the first inkling he had of her changed attitude was not until the next morning. And it was more avalanche than inkling.

Rayden was lounging against the crude fence in front of the house, mind wandering over the details of the previous night in a blurry haze. He was feeling slightly hung over, but it took an awful lot of booze to get really drunk with his constitution. At least he had relieved some of the inner tension caused by his ward's presence.

That is, until she walked out of the hut. Rayden jolted upright as if struck by lightning (and he knew very well what that felt like). 'Walking' seemed like such a plain word; Titania _sashayed_ with perfect poise, clad in the clinging silks of her homeland. The dress (if it could be called that) was forest green, the texture of leafy moss, and seemed to flow _up_ her body, leaving her arms and shoulders bare. The hem trailed the forest floor, almost seeming to become part of it, and long slits up the sides revealed slender legs wrapped with delicate vines. She was barefoot and her unbound hair stirred as if by a ghostly breeze.

Seeing the way his jaw had dropped, she tossed him a dazzling smile.

"Coming, Thunder God?" she drawled over her shoulder as she passed him. No meek 'my Lords' today.

He teleported directly in front of her, forcing her to halt. His eyes swept over her appreciatively. "Well well…what brought this on?"

Titania folded her arms beneath her breasts, unintentionally (perhaps) drawing his attention to her cleavage. "You should know better," she chided, leaning forward slightly so that his eyes jumped from her chest back to her face. She met his gaze and held it. "Never comment on a woman's clothing unless it's a compliment…Rayden." It was the first time she'd ever said his name without a title.

There was a hint of laughter in her eyes and he realized with astonishment that she was deliberately baiting him. Backpedaling to evaluate this new Titania, he could only stare in astonishment as she swept past him with an airy laugh and continued on her way into town.

Why now, after all his concentrated efforts had failed? Rayden hurried to catch up with her.

That day, the marketplace was treated to Queen Titania and she bequeathed upon them all the gifts she gave her own people. Rayden had found her beguiling before, but now he realized he had only seen the smallest glimpse of the real Titania. She walked among the people regally, drawing attention effortlessly and rewarding all with a beatific smile. Occasionally she would find someone who seemed particularly down on his or her luck and then she extended a hand imperiously to Rayden, wordlessly demanding that he produce gold for the poor wretch. Her largess came with a blessing as well, a few insightful words that made Rayden wonder exactly how restricted her abilities were.

Instead of being her guide and protector, Rayden found himself walking a few steps behind her like a trusted servant. Not that he minded…the view was quite pleasant. His eyes rested often enough on her hips as they swayed gently to her smooth pace.

They stayed in town all day and he began to wonder if she would ever grow tired of parading through the streets, but abruptly at dusk she stopped and stared up at the evening sky. "I think," she said absently, "I should like to see the stars."

"Well, they'll be out soon enough," Rayden replied agreeably. Titania's upturned face was lit with the rays of the setting sun and her hair was shot through with red and gold. Just watching her had been enough during the day, but now the mystery of the twilight hour was upon them. His hands twitched to caress her face and tangle in her hair.

For her part, Titania was achieving exactly the reaction from the god that she desired. She'd ignored his blatant seduction attempts in the past, choosing to play coy, but Rayden was nobler than she expected. Rather than press an unwanted suit, he bowed out respectfully and turned his attention elsewhere. That simply would not do, for she intended to enjoy her game and that required his attention. His _full_ attention.

She was delighted that his actions today had proven he had not entirely given up on her. A smile curled her lips. The approaching night only strengthened her position…if Rayden knew that her realm was often called "The Twilight Land", and with good reason, he would have given himself up for lost right then and there.

Now as darkness fell, the warm mystery of night and the presence of a handsome, eligible, _interested_ man spurred her to new heights of feminine wiles.

She turned to look at Rayden and saw that he had been watching her. Even though his face was shadowed, she could feel the intensity of his gaze. She gave him a winsome smile. "Does my lord know any good places for stargazing?"

Moments later they arrived on a rocky ledge, the lights and noise of the city left far below them. Titania's eyes swept over the terrain, tracing the lines of forests and valleys that extended towards the horizon. The mass of greenery combined with the deepening blue sky was breathtaking, but the reddish-purple hues of the sunset reminded her of the red sky of her homeland.

"It's beautiful," she breathed.

Rayden stepped up to her side, surveying the view. "It is, isn't it?" He sounded very proud. Titania glanced at him. Yes, definitely preening.

Then the stars began to come out and she was immediately entranced. There were so many! She'd seen them from her cottage, but the tree always blocked so much of the sky. She heard a chuckle but couldn't break her gaze away from the endless array of twinkling lights.

"What's so funny?" she demanded.

"You act like you've never seen stars before."

She shot him a brief look from under lowered lashes.

"I haven't. Not like this."

The laughter stopped. Titania stared fixedly at the sky, trying to ignore the intense silence that followed. She felt suddenly awkward and alien. Just as she thought she could endure it no longer, she felt Rayden take her hand. Then they were someplace else entirely.

The horizon vanished and only the soft sand beneath her feet reassured Titania that she was still firmly on the ground. Her breathless gasp was lost in the roar of the surf. The waves rolling against the beach receded into darkness and blended seamlessly with the night sky. She felt like she was standing at the edge of forever. A chill wind gusted around her as if trying to drag her into the inky waters. She swayed and felt Rayden's arms, warm and solid, supporting her. He wrapped them around her from behind and she dug her fingernails into his forearms.

His laughter rumbled against her back, a comforting thunder, as he steadied her and then he spoke into her ear. "No seas either, I take it?" She shook her head against his arm, her fear fading into wide-eyed wonder. Her body slowly relaxed against him and her eyes returned to the stars. She still clung to him, though no longer with a death grip, and Rayden inhaled slowly, relishing the feel of her in his arms. It was…dizzying.

Touching and being touched by a god is nothing like touching a human. With humans you can feel the pulse of blood, the little deaths their bodies face each moment, the miracle that makes them _live _against all odds. But with a god, the physical form was a container, something to entertain the senses. Rayden could 'dumb down' his abilities so that he was not consciously aware of a human's mortality, but he was capable of seeing so much more. He stared at Titania's hand where it rested on his arm and saw the pulse of otherworldly magic on a level most mortals would be oblivious to. Without any conscious urging her power called to his, testing and teasing far beyond the physical sensation of her touch.

And this was only a fraction of her power. What would it be like to hold her without the seals in place? His mind veered away from the enormity of that idea. He would be ruined for all mortal women by Titania's innocent embrace.

She shivered suddenly, startling him. Goosebumps pebbled her flesh and he reminded himself that she didn't have the power to protect herself from the elements. As he drew her back from the shoreline, she regretfully pulled her eyes from the stars. She seemed dazed and let herself be guided easily.

He led her into the simple building carved into the hillside where rocky cliffs met sprawling sands. It was only one room, plainly furnished. After a moment's hesitation, Rayden settled Titania on the edge of the bed. The image of her anywhere _near_ a bed seemed like a bad idea right now but there was only one chair, which he sank into on the far side of the room.

She came out of her stupor and glanced around uncertainly. "This is…?"

"My home. So to speak." He folded his arms and leaned back in the chair as she scrutinized the room. It was the first time he'd ever shown it to someone, but then again visiting (friendly) immortals were somewhat of a rarity.

"How…quaint," she murmured, fingers toying with the coverlet on the bed. She realized where she was sitting and stood up abruptly. Rayden found the flush of her cheeks charming. She moved to the window and looked out into the night.

"What would I do with a mansion? I come here to get _away _from everything, not bring it with me. Besides, something this size is portable." She frowned at him curiously and Rayden snapped his fingers. The roar of the ocean vanished and Titania spied dusty sand dunes outside the window. A blast of hot, dry air blew in through the window. Snap. Pure white snow and icy peaks replaced the dunes. Snap. Lush vegetation and the buzz of insects. Snap. The ocean again.

"Creative," she acknowledged calmly. Rayden thought she looked impressed. "This realm has so many different…" She paused, searching for the correct term. "Climates."

She moved as if to sit and then remembered the only free seat was the bed. _His_ bed. She froze, then spun and approached him determinedly instead. He deliberately settled himself more comfortably in the chair and quirked an eyebrow at her.

She huffed and glared at him. The flush on her cheeks deepened and Rayden grinned. She was adorable and her embarrassment only made her more so. He was finding it difficult to resist pulling her into his arms again. She was staring at him and he tensed, realizing the emotions had been playing across his face like an open book for her to read. He looked away and wrestled his desires back under the surface before turning back to her with a perfectly calm expression.

She seemed to be steeling herself for something. Perplexed, Rayden leaned forward even as Titania dropped to her knees before him, putting them at face level. Startled by her sudden proximity, he began to draw back but she stopped him with a gentle touch on his cheek. Her hand was trembling. She was so close...

"When I was looking at the stars, I had a vision," she said breathlessly. "About you...and me. I shouldn't have looked. It caught me by surprise."

Rayden blinked. That wasn't what he'd expected her to say. He cleared his throat and asked, "What did you see?" It came out hoarse and thick in spite of his efforts and a fine shiver ran down her spine. It was a moment before she answered, but when she opened her mouth his eyes flicked to her lips. The action froze her in place, unable to speak or even think. She hesitated, expression torn as if she hovered on the threshold of a monumental decision.

She met his eyes and a shock ran through him as he fully realized her intentions. "That…" she began, "this is right."

Then she kissed him.

Rayden was in heaven. No, he'd been to heaven; this was _better_. A goddess was kissing him and it was like nothing he had ever felt before. No mortal touch could compare.

Her lips were soft and warm against his but he didn't dare move. Her touch was an exquisite torture and with the way her arms were already twined around him...his control was hanging by a thread. He savored the moment even as he tried to resist what she offered.

Titania drew back, gazing at him with eyes that saw far more than he wanted her to know. There was a delicate flush to her cheeks. He closed his eyes against the tempting vision. "Are you sure..." he began, but she shushed him with gentle hands.

Her breath whispered across his face as her fingers traced his jaw. Rayden knew that the slightest encouragement would bring her into his arms. Her voice was low and melodious when she spoke. "You burn for this as much as I do."

The words were his undoing. His grip tightened involuntarily around her shoulders and she took it as a sign of acceptance. With a soft sigh, her arms tightened around his neck, pulling him closer as she curled her body against his. Her kiss was more demanding this time, full of suppressed longing. He responded in kind, feeling her gasp as his mouth moved hungrily over hers. The last shred of his resistance crumbled as he met her at last with a passion to match her own.

Things got a bit hazy after that.

He wasn't sure how exactly she ended up straddling his lap or when they moved from the chair to the floor to the bed to- …well, suffice it to say he was a little distracted. Titania's willingness and the fact that she was a goddess in her own right more than made up for her lack of experience. For the first time, Rayden actually appreciated his nearly inexhaustible stamina. For the first time, he didn't have to hold back.

His last thought before falling into a deep, exhausted sleep was, _I am not alone..._


	4. Chapter 3 – Fuzzy Gold

Author's Note: 'Tania' is a short form of Titania and is pronounced like Tanya. Also, I've heard that Rayden and Shao Kahn being brothers was just a movie plot device, but I really love it so it will be mentioned here as well.

Chapter 3 – Fuzzy Gold

_Time is too slow for those who wait, to swift for those who fear, _  
_too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice. _  
_But for those who love, time is not._

Titania and Rayden woke simultaneously, bathed in sunlight and tangled comfortably together. The sun's rays lit their tousled hair, surrounding them in a gold and silver halo. Titania smiled and burrowed closer to Rayden. "Tania," he murmured sleepily, nuzzling her neck. He felt her smile against his cheek as she heard the nickname.

He tensed suddenly and pulled away.

"What is it?" she asked uncertainly.

"Your brother is looking for you," he sighed, and then winced. "And now he's looking for me."

Titania sat up. Part of being a god meant always knowing when someone called your name. "Why can't I hear him?" She cast about with her power...or tried to. "Oh, the seal..."

"I guess we should return," Rayden grumbled. He reached for her but she slipped past him and an instant later was clad again in the red skirt and vest she'd worn on their first meeting. At least limited magic was still good for something. Then she gave a startled squeak as Rayden appeared, also fully clothed, directly in front of her.

He gave her a knowing grin and offered her his arm. "Time to go."

Ignoring the gallant gesture, she gave him an impish grin and impulsively threw her arms around his neck. She pressed a kiss to his lips as he transported them back to the city. It was all very nice and romantic, but the worst possible timing for the gesture.

Oberon had grown rather frantic when he'd been unable to find his sister, and the Protector of Earthrealm had not immediately answered his calls. Now that they had finally appeared, he saw that the man had his hands on Titania's waist in a _very_ inappropriate way and the kiss he was giving her was hardly chaste. Never mind that Titania had her arms locked around Rayden's neck and seemed entirely too willing. She was, and always would be, his innocent little sister. On top of the fearful adrenaline rush he'd been riding most of the morning it was too much. Oberon exploded.

"_HOW DARE YOU?"_ he bellowed, striding aggressively to the pair and pulling them apart. Titania didn't have the strength to resist him and Rayden was caught off guard. From a tropical island with a beautiful woman to a dusty city with a berserk god on a rampage. "YOU CALL YOURSELF _PROTECTOR_? THIS IS YOUR IDEA OF _PROTECTING_ MY SISTER?" Oberon continued to rave.

Titania was frantically trying to calm him but he would have none of it.

Rayden felt his own temper flare. _"ENOUGH!"_ he ordered, lightning flashing in his eyes. A peal of thunder echoed his words and both siblings paused in surprise.

"Your sister is unharmed," he continued before they could begin squabbling again. Oberon was still fuming and Titania seemed shocked by the men's harsh, angry reactions. Modulating his tone, Rayden added coolly, "I was unaware that Titania was incapable of making her own decisions." He sidestepped Oberon with a speed the other god could never hope to match without the use of his full power.

Rayden was bowing over Titania's hand before her brother even realized what had happened. "If you need me," he said quietly, startling her further with the intensity of his gaze, "just call." Oberon spun around just as Rayden placed a gentle kiss on the back of Titania's hand. She saw that thunder god's eyes were still glowing and gasped as an electric shock ran up her arm.

Vanishing, Rayden left behind an irate god and a very dreamy-eyed goddess.

A pair of glittering eyes watching the scene from the shadows vanished as well.

...To reappear before Shao Kahn's throne.

The figure, clothed all in gray as was suitable for his abilities, knelt before the emperor in obeisance. His name was equally suitable.

"Fog." Shao Kahn smiled a sinister smile.

The ninja rose to his feet, keeping his head bowed. Shao Kahn gave an idle gesture. "You have good news, I presume." The way he said 'good' sounded very, very bad.

"They have returned, Sir!" Fog always used 'sir' when addressing someone above him. He preferred to leave the more flowery titles to those who felt they needed to use them. _He_ could earn respect without resorting to flattery. "The thunder god has left them."

"Excellent. And?"

"He clearly favors the woman." Fog didn't blame him. The girl was gorgeous. He would kill for a woman like that. Or for the power she possessed. Fog was nothing if not practical.

The emperor's grin grew. "You've done well. Now...bring them to me! And I will let you have the woman when I'm done with her."

Fog bowed low, hiding his pleased expression. Shao Kahn missed nothing. He knew exactly the right motivators to use on his minions. Fog vanished in his trademark swirl of icy smoke, already plotting how to apprehend his victims.

* * *

Oberon was having a bad day. Or rather, a bad month.

He'd given up most of his godly powers, abandoned his realm to an outsider, obligingly escorted his sister to this dull realm that she fancied for some unthinkable reason, entrusted her to the local deity for a few days so he could at least have a _little_ fun while he was here, and returned to find the bastard had _seduced _her. His innocent little sister! Tricked into yielding her body for her love of the foreign god's world.

And now she was mad at Oberon for driving the man away.

It was enough to make him hurl thunderbolts. Unfortunately, thunderbolts were a bit beyond him at the moment so he settled for storming blindly through the city, barely aware of Titania trailing after him. He did _not _want to hear her excuses right now.

Unfortunately, his sister was never one to be ignored.

Halting in the middle of the street, she shrieked wordlessly at the top of her lungs. The outburst startled passersby, who were now pausing to watch the drama.

Oberon reversed direction so quickly that he almost collided with Titania. "_Must_ you?" he barked at her before catching himself. Titania's face was red; had she embarrassed herself? No, likely she had been expecting this reaction from the townsfolk and knew an audience was the one thing that would force him to calm down. He mentally reminded himself for the ten-thousandth time that even though she looked innocent, Titania was a master manipulator.

_Does she really need your protection?_

He shoved the thought away. Of course she did.

Grabbing her arm, he propelled her into the shadows of the nearest alley. A few townspeople glanced around the corner after them, but none were so brave (or so foolish) as to follow.

"What's wrong with you?" Titania demanded, shaking off his hand and turning to glare at him.

He took a deep breath, trying to reign in his temper. "Titania," he implored, "how long have you known him? A month? This is ridiculous. You can't possibly _love _him."

Her eyes glittered dangerously. "Is that your problem? That I've been with a man who might not want to stay around for all of eternity?"

"No! But you deserve better than that. You've never even met another man before! You shouldn't give your love casually."

She gave a frustrated huff. "Then maybe I'm _not_ being casual."

"That's even worse." At her baffled look, he gripped her shoulders and shook her gently, pleadingly. "Don't you see? We can't stay here and he can't leave. I don't want you jumping into anything too quickly, but in this case a simple crush would be better than the alternative." He met his sister's eyes, entreating her to listen. "Don't give your heart away for something that can never be."

For a moment he thought his words had reached her, but then she lifted her chin defiantly and slipped out of his grasp. "Maybe you should let me worry about my own life, brother," she said with a toss of her head.

"Fine!" Oberon fumed. On her own head with it then. He had tried.

He heard her angry footsteps walking away from him and then a startled squeak. He glanced over his shoulder.

Titania was gone.

"What-" He sensed more than heard the portal open behind him. Before he could move, hands reached out of the swirling vortex and pulled him through.

Darkness surrounded him as he stumbled forward. His foot caught on something that yelped and then he could see again, though the light remained dim. Titania was on the floor beside him, massaging a bruised ankle. He helped her quickly to her feet, eyes scanning their new surroundings.

They were in a large, primitive looking room. A thick fog had been rolling about their ankles but now it coalesced slowly into the form of a man, a gray-suited silver-haired ninja. The ninja's eyes meandered casually over Titania as he gave the pair a mocking bow. Blue eyes snapping, Titania gave a toss of her head and turned her back on the man, though Oberon noticed she edged closer to her brother with the same movement. Oberon leveled his own black glare on the man, though it didn't seem to faze him.

"Fog." A deep voice broke the staring match. This time there was nothing mocking in Fog's bow. He dropped to one knee and froze, keeping his head respectfully lowered. Oberon met Titania's gaze briefly. No words were exchanged, but he knew the anger and fear in her eyes was mirrored in his own. Even limited as they were, they could sense the power behind that voice.

Their argument over the Earth god was forgotten. As one, they straightened their shoulders and turned to meet their abductor with matching defiant tilts of their chins.

They found themselves facing a dais with a horrible throne built entirely out of bones. On the throne sat a muscle-bound man wearing a skull mask and a sinister smile. Oberon could sense the man's immense power and knew that they were no longer in the Earthrealm.

"I have brought them, Emperor," Fog mumbled to the floor.

"So I see," the emperor replied condescendingly, "You may go."

Fog stood, his gaze still fixed on his toes. "My reward?"

The emperor waved a hand dismissively. "When I'm done with her."

Oberon heard Titania's breath halt momentarily at the words but he doubted anyone else noticed. For someone unused to such situations, she was masking her reactions remarkably well. The surge of pride helped him control his own rage at hearing the fate supposedly awaiting his sister. As Fog departed, the Faerie King turned a disdainfully bemused smile on the Emperor of Outworld.

"How…ingenuous. Look my dear," He gestured elegantly to the bleak surroundings. "Here we have a classic stage for villainy. The dark room with unfinished walls…we are to think these people barbaric and lacking in morals. Trophies made no doubt from the bones of those who defied them. The blatant threats to your well-being…clearly resistance is punishable by death, even torture." He studied the emperor thoughtfully. "A bit over the top perhaps, but altogether terrifying I suppose."

"I suppose," Titania echoed doubtfully, but he caught the twinkle in her eyes as she enthusiastically picked up the game. "Shall we quiver in fear, brother? Shall I plead for my virginity or perhaps faint gracefully into your arms as you attempt to barter, unsuccessfully of course, for my freedom?" She swayed dramatically as she said this, then frowned at the man on the throne. "My! You have all the right elements _Emperor _but it does work much better with a real virgin." Oberon started at that news, but the emperor slammed his fist on the throne's arm as he rose to his feet.

"Enough!" he bellowed. He strode slowly down from the dais. He was a head taller than Oberon and towered over Titania. Neither of them looked the slightest bit intimidated. Oberon gave Shao Kahn a lopsided grin and Titania giggled, before both effected exaggeratedly terrified expressions.

"You are not afraid." He studied Oberon's face before turning to Titania with a leer. "But you should be. I can make you scream with pain for the rest of your…very short lives."

Titania rolled her eyes at him. "We're immortal, you twit!"

"Perhaps," the man murmured. "But you have no power here. You _will_ scream for me."

Oberon snorted. "I'm sorry, it's a great line really but it's wasted on us. We have better things to do. Come, Titania." He lifted his arm but before Titania could take it the emperor made a slashing motion and Oberon felt something slam into him, knocking him backwards. Titania did _not_ scream but he saw her eyes go very, very wide as he flew through the air. He landed flat on his back, spots dancing in his vision and an intense burning pain twisting his gut.

The emperor nudged his prone form, eliciting a gasp of pain that Oberon could not hold in. "Hmm," he mused. "Believe me now?" A pleased grin spread across his face. "You may be immortal, but you can be injured. And_ that_ makes this so much more delightful." He turned back to Titania, who was rooted to the spot, her eyes on the deep gash in Oberon's abdomen. She had never seen him injured so.

The emperor smiled. "You see, my dear? Your brother cannot save you from me." He took her chin in his hand, forcing her to look at him. "And neither can mine."

She frowned in confusion and rallied her powers to send an electric shock through the emperor's hand. He let go of her more out of surprise than any real pain, but it was enough. Titania danced backwards from his cruel embrace, hissing. "Do _not_ touch me!"

He merely grinned and stepped forward, reaching for her again. She frantically tried to call forth her power again but nothing came. Fear crossed her face for the first time.

Something barreled into her, pushing her away from the emperor. Oberon, she realized. He had a crystal in his hands, glittering brilliantly, and a portal sprung open beside them. The emperor's face twisted into rage and black lightning flashed in his hands.

"Go!" Oberon shoved her through the portal and dove in after her. Dark power followed him, passing around him and through him, threatening to melt the flesh from his bones.

He didn't notice when they stumbled back into Earthrealm or when the portal behind him vanished. His ears were filled with the piercing wails of some poor animal that needed to be put out of its misery. He became aware of Titania's presence and then he realized _he_ was the one screaming. The wail cut off abruptly and his faltering breathing echoed in the sudden silence.

He opened his eyes and his sister's face swam before him. "Ti…tania…" he whispered. Glistening tracks down her cheeks indicated she had been crying and she cradled him to her tightly.

She gasped at the sound of her name and broke into tears anew. "Do you know me now? Oh brother, please! Oberon!"

He wanted to touch her hair, wipe away the tears, but his arms refused to move. The light seemed astonishingly bright after the dreary Outworld throne room. It illuminated his sister in a halo of gold. Fuzzy gold. He couldn't seem to bring her face entirely into focus for some reason. He tried to speak again, to ask what had happened, but he couldn't make the words come.

Then, it didn't seem so bright anymore…

The last thing he heard was Titania screaming, like a prayer, "Rayden, help me!"


	5. Chapter 4 – Interlude and Then Some

Chapter 4 – Interlude and Then Some

_Only yesterday powdered and lustful I walked_  
_In this various and resonant world._  
_Today how long ago the lot was drowned._

_Rayden, help me!_

He appeared immediately, of course. He knew the moment she spoke his name.

The last kiss he'd given Titania had been more than a gallant gesture. It was ceremonial, binding the two of them together. With that kiss, he claimed her as his own. Permanently. In return, whenever she called him he would feel the pull to her side. Foolish of him? Maybe. But Titania had to return to her own realm at some point, beyond the scope of his power, and as long as she was within his hearing he never wanted to miss her summons.

Had she been at full strength, it never would have worked. Gods do not lay claim to others gods.

Had Oberon been at full strength and realized the full import of what Rayden had done, there would have been a fight. _He left her in my care,_ Rayden justified to himself. _The bond at its most basic is an oath of protection and responsibility._

He'd been waiting for Titania's call, expecting it to come as soon as she was free of her pesky, over-protective brother. He didn't, however, expect it to sound quite so…frantic.

"Miss me?" he started to say, but the jovial expression was wiped instantly from his face as he took in the scene before him. Titania was kneeling in the narrow alley, her head bowed. She was slumped over the inert body of Oberon, his head resting in her lap. He was, Rayden did a double take, very, very dead.

Dropping swiftly to knee he clutched Titania's shoulder. "What happened?" he asked urgently, giving her a small shake when she didn't acknowledge him. "Titania! What ha-"

"HE'S DEAD!" she shrieked, horror-stricken at her own words. "He's dead…" she repeated softly. "He gave up his magic for me when we came here, but he didn't tell me he gave up his immortality as well," she sniffled. Then she gave a startled cry as Oberon's body began to fade away. She clawed at his clothing and hair frantically, trying to find something to hold onto. Rayden grabbed her hands and pulled her into his embrace. He thought she might struggle but she fell limp, staring with defeated eyes at her brother's increasingly translucent form. Rayden stroked her hair soothingly, cursing himself for not keeping at least one of his so-called omniscient eyes on his guests.

Titania stiffened in his arms when a single crystal orb bounced on the ground with a muffled tinkle. She pushed away from him, reaching for the gem. She hesitated with her hand poised over it, expression distant; though she stared at it intently, he had a feeling she wasn't seeing it.

"The other crystal isn't here," she mumbled at last.

Rayden blinked, reaching around her to pick up the orb. "What?"

She stared at him. Her eyes were puffy and shimmered with unshed tears, looking too large in her slender face and too sorrowful.

"He had two," she said dully as he studied the crystal. "This one is like mine, a vessel for his remaining magic, but there was another…red and oblong…that he used to travel the realms."

Though Rayden wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms again and comfort her, his mind skipped ahead. "If it's not here…then where is it?"

Her eyes were flat, hopeless pools. "Where is your brother?"

_Figures._

"Shao Kahn." Rayden was on his feet pacing angrily before he even realized it. He didn't have to ask what the Emperor had wanted – anything that Rayden held dear was worthy of destruction, in Shao Kahn's eyes.

The crystal orb was clenched in his fist so tightly he was amazed it was undamaged. He started to pass it back to Titania but stopped at the look on her face.

"Shao Kahn," she repeated flatly.

Rayden nodded. "Outworld."

She smiled. "Outworld." The smile changed her face. He recognized the expression now.

It had been a long time since he witnessed the wrath of a god.

"Send me there," she ordered coldly.

It was difficult to meet her blank stare when only a few hours earlier she had gazed upon him with such warmth, but he managed it. "I don't think so."

She stepped towards him menacingly and then visibly controlled herself. She took a deep breath, but her eyes remained clouded. "That crystal contains the only power my brother did not pass on to his heir and it is a significant force. It allows the bearer to travel the realms, _any_ realms, as easily as walking down the street. Do you really want a menace like Shao Kahn to have unrestricted access to all the realms in existence?" She grabbed the front of his tunic in both hands. "_Send me back_," she entreated. "I must retrieve the crystal!"

"Absolutely not." He shook his head, gently prying her hands loose and clasping them in his own. "Listen to me. I'm sorry about Oberon...you have no idea how sorry I am. But I'm powerless in Outworld and you're not much better. Even if you were, you're not a warrior and if Outworld is known for anything, it's warriors who fight dirty. I won't let you risk yourself that way."

Something in her expression darkened. "Won't _let_ me, Thunder God?" Rayden again found himself wondering again what it would be like to face her in her full glory. The thought reminded him with a jolt that releasing Titania's powers required both himself _and_ Oberon. What was he going to do about _that_? She couldn't go back to her own realm with only a fraction of her power.

He was still staring at her in shock when she ordered him, in her most regal tone, to open a portal to Outworld. The bond he'd forged with her was supposed to only allow her to summon him to her side, not command him uninhibitedly, yet he found himself responding without thinking.

The next thing he knew she was stepping through the portal without a backward glance. He tried to stop her at the last second, reaching for her as the portal shrank, a cry of protest dying on his lips as he realized it was too late. She was gone.

The smooth crystal orb was still in his hand. He glared at it, roared his frustration and vanished in a clap of thunder so loud that those passing nearby were temporarily deafened.

* * *

The portal snapped shut behind her as she emerged. Titania felt a slight pang at manipulating Rayden. She hadn't even been sure her magic would work on a god. It probably wouldn't have if he hadn't looked so poleaxed. Was he not aware of how evil his brother was? No, that hadn't seemed to surprise him. But what was it then?

She cleared the thoughts from her mind. Her mission now was to find the dimensional crystal. Pulling out her own smooth orb, identical to Oberon's, she held it before her. If she was lucky, it would guide her to the crystal.

Not thinking to conceal her presence, she didn't notice the shadow tracking her as she moved naively through the caverns of Outworld.

Fog couldn't believe his luck when the portal deposited the otherworldly woman of his dreams practically right in front of him. Even though Shao Kahn had promised her to him, he didn't expect her to be worth much once the emperor was done with her, and his rank was not sufficient to protest. Then word had come of her escape…he thought she'd be realms away by now, yet here she was before him, defenseless and alone. Well, almost defenseless.

She must have considerable power to attract the Earth god's attention. Fog noted that her magic seemed to be focused through the crystal in her hand. Once he got that away from her, she truly would be at his mercy. Better yet, he would have her power for himself. He followed her silently as he plotted.

She was clearly on a mission and he had a pretty good idea what she was seeking. It was simple to slip ahead of her and retrieve the treasure first, then lead her off in the direction _he_ wanted her to go…

This time his prize would be unspoiled and, if he was careful, Shao Kahn would never know.

_No one_ would ever know.

* * *

_He would never know._

Rayden found himself standing on the beach, staring at the stars that Titania had so loved.

She had never returned from Outworld. The only sign that she had even existed was the smooth crystal orb that she had left his care.

For months, Rayden had zealously tracked every portal that opened from Outworld. He had questioned (and destroyed) numerous minions of Shao Kahn's army, but none of them knew what had happened to Titania. There was one incident where a portal opened but no one passed through it…or nothing alive, at any rate. He went over the area with a fine-toothed comb for days, both dreading and hoping that he would find a sign of his missing lover, but there was none.

At last, other matters had demanded his attention.

Three months after Titania vanished, Shang Tsung's defection to Outworld following his defeat of Master Cho was revealed. The overlapping losses were nearly Rayden's undoing. The Protector of Earthrealm was forced to bury his grief in order to seek out and train new warriors for Mortal Kombat. He channeled all his energies into the tournament, but his heart wasn't in it. His new warriors had barely begun to train before they were put to the test. Shang Tsung, as Outworld's new champion, easily defeated them.

Alone in his despair, Rayden lectured himself with the human platitudes that the pain would fade in time, that he must strive to move on. Unfortunately, gods are blessed (or cursed) with unnaturally long memories. Rayden knew it would be long, long time before he could think of the past year without cursing fate.

Locking his heart away, he swore he would never again be distracted from his responsibilities until Earthrealm was safe from the likes of Shao Kahn once and for all.

* * *

_The sky is cold and blue._  
_Or the moon is yellow and flat._  
_A wood contains many single trees._  
_Nothing is worth weeping for._  
_Nothing is worth screaming for._  
_Where am I-

* * *

_

ONE GENERATION LATER

The servants were jockeying for positions on the wall. From the top, there was an excellent view of the arena. Everyone wanted to see the tournament. It was rumored that Earthrealm had a powerful new warrior. Outworld had won the last tournament and everyone was eager to see if the reign would continue or be broken.

Mist dodged out of the way as one man seemed to lose his footing and nearly tumbled on top of her. Scrambling up the wall after his place, she was surprised when a hand was lowered into her vision. Looking up, she saw Fog smiling warmly at her, though his eyes were still as cold as ice. Shivering, she took his hand and allowed herself to be drawn up onto the wall. Fog wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her. Though she longed to shrink from his touch, she dared not.

Fog had acted as a foster father to her, or as close as one could get in Outworld, and she had no one else to turn to. He had taken her in and trained her when she had been helpless, wandering the dangerous streets with no memory of who she was or how she had come to be there. She was his creation and possession as much as his adopted daughter.

"Watch carefully," he whispered in his ear. "Tell me the outcome of the next match and I'll give you something nice."

Suppressing a shiver and what Fog might consider 'nice', Mist studied the warriors. When Fog discovered she had no fighting ability to speak of, he settled for training her senses. This was a test of sorts. She frowned thoughtfully. The masked ninja fighting for Outworld was skilled, but the human from Earthrealm was handling two swords with an agility that belied years of practice. "Outworld," she decided at last. "The human will be useless once disarmed."

Fog nodded, and sure enough, the human seemed to have the advantage until the ninja managed to knock first one then the other sword out of reach. The battle ended swiftly after that.

"Too easy," Fog snorted, "But…as promised." Mist gasped as he produced a beautiful crystal orb and presented it to her with a flourish. A pang of longing swept over her and she grabbed the orb hungrily, staring into it as if searching for…what?

"What is it?" She asked, masking the disappointment and confusion she felt when the orb remained empty.

"A gift, nothing more," Fog said with a shrug, though he too seemed disappointed. "Magic, perhaps, if you can learn how to use it."

"You can teach me?"

He clucked his tongue at her. "Some things you much teach yourself."

She huffed and twirled the crystal idly on her palm.

The next battle was starting. As the crystal spun and glittered, the figures began to stretch and blur in Mist's vision. She swayed unsteadily and only Fog's grip on her kept her from losing her precarious perch on the wall.

"The battle will go to Earthrealm," she said dreamily.

Fog looked startled. "What do you mean? Look at our warrior!" He indicated the massive four-legged beast with arms as thick as tree trunks. "He could squash that puny mortal in one blow."

Mist nodded slowly. "But the human has speed and agility. He'll be able to avoid the attacks until he can land his own blow. And he'll need only one."

Fog snorted in disbelief, but Mist ignored him. She was more certain of this fight than she'd ever been of anything.

When the battle ended, with Earthrealm's warrior slipping past the Outworlder's defenses to land a single crushing blow on the beast's skull, Fog turned to her in astonishment.

"How did you know?" he demanded.

"I'm not sure. I just did." Mist looked at the crystal. "Everything seems so clear when I have this in my hand."

Fog snatched it from her and peered into it. "What? It's never done that for me!" Belatedly realizing he had revealed his lack of knowledge, he thrust the orb back at her and jumped off the wall.

"Come!" he beckoned imperiously. "We must discover what else you can do with this new power."

Meekly, but with a private thrill at her newfound ability, Mist followed him home.

* * *

The next tournament saw her in a place of honor right beside the arena. Fog stood near her, smirking proudly.

After she had proven her prowess at predicting the outcomes of battles, games, the weather and a host of other things, Fog had timidly presented her to his master. Something about her coming face to face with the emperor made Fog incredibly nervous, but Mist was unable to see what it might be. She tried using her new abilities to discern it, but the crystal remained empty.

Shao Kahn glanced at her disinterestedly. "So you are Fog's little pet. Tell me then, pet, what future do you see for me? Tell me if Outworld will win the next tournament."

Fog twitched fearfully at the request, but Mist calmly held up her crystal and gazed into it. So many possibilities…there were so many more things involved in this kind of prediction than picking heads or tails in a game…

At last she had it.

"You will win, as long as Shang Tsung remains champion," she said firmly, pleased that she was able to speak to him without the slightest quiver in her voice. Fog twitched. The emperor gave her his full attention skeptically.

"And Shang Tsung _will_ remain champion…until he is defeated in Mortal Kombat. Your answer is useless."

Mist shook her head, holding her composure. "He will not be defeated. How far into the future can I see? I don't know. But everything I can foresee ends with Shang Tsung triumphant."

Seeing the emperor's frown, she bowed her head respectfully. "We shall see," was all he said.

And so now Shang Tsung walked into the arena. He wore only a pair of loose pants, his arms and chest glistening with oil. The human warrior who came to meet him seemed truly insignificant in comparison, but they still looked much more evenly matched than usual. It was rare for Outworld's champion to have such a human-like appearance.

Fog was trying to catch her eye, but Mist merely gave him a thin-lipped, reassuring grin. She knew her vision was true. Outworld would win this match.

As the battle began, she held up her crystal, watching the fight through it. An unbroken chain of Outworld victories stretched before her, Shang Tsung fighting in their midst. Her senses strained as she tried to see beyond the last battle. Mist swayed slightly.

The crowd roared, causing her to blink and lose her concentration. Shang Tsung was victorious, having beaten the Earthrealm warrior into the dirt. Shao Kahn roared his approval along with the crowd. Mist swelled with pride and she saw Fog watching her with a pleased expression. Smirking, Mist turned her eyes back to the battlefield…and froze. Her smile slid slowly from her face.

Rayden, the Protector of Earthrealm, was standing over the fallen warrior. He knelt beside the dying man, bowing his head. Her breath caught as he looked up to glare at Shao Kahn with such hatred and anguish that she actually felt ashamed for her role in the death of the human. She had never seen such naked emotion before. No one in Outworld would dare show such feelings, let alone to an enemy.

She edged back into the crowd with an inexplicable desire to avoid the thunder god's gaze. Irrationally, she did not want to be the cause of such pain and felt that if he did not see her, she would be faultless. Warriors rose and fell in Outworld with no one giving much thought to it, but now she felt remorse for the fallen Earthrealm hero. She felt guilty for helping her side win.

"FINISH HIM" Shao Kahn roared. Shang Tsung stepped forward and reached out to claim the soul of the fallen warrior. Rayden turned his back on the scene and strode from the arena without so much as a backwards glance. Troubled, Mist turned away as well, not noticing Fog's eyes upon her.

* * *

Later, Fog brought her before the emperor again. Pleased with his success, Shao Kahn rewarded her by appointing her as his personal advisor.

Fog's reward was the choice to leave voluntarily or be killed – the emperor shares with no one.

Stunned by her (and Fog's) abrupt change in status, Mist could only stare in astonishment as Fog retreated quickly with a muffled curse. She belonged to Shao Kahn now.

From that moment, the emperor called on her for all his major decisions, from when to invade a realm to which armies to send and always, always what was necessary to win Mortal Kombat. Earthrealm was a very tasty morsel, she realized, and she resented his attempts to possess it for reasons she did not quite understand.

She reflected often on her reaction to the Protector of Earthrealm and her inexplicable desire to help this stranger who was her enemy. Over the years, it dawned on her slowly that she was in a position of great influence, one that might enable her to aid Earthrealm while still appearing loyal to Outworld. Worlds could be won or lost by her hand. She shuddered at the thought of so much power resting on her shoulders. This would require careful planning.

For now, all she could do was bide her time, tell the emperor where to aim, and wait.


	6. Chapter 5 – Lies of the Heart

Chapter 5 – Lies of the Heart

_Between the silence of the mountains,  
And the crashing of the sea,  
There lies a land I once lived in,  
And she's waiting there for me,  
But in the gray of the morning,  
My mind becomes confused,  
Between the dead and the sleeping,  
And the road that I must choose._

Mist spun the crystal in her palm, letting it roll over the back of her hands in a cross between juggling and sleight-of-hand. It was mesmerizing to watch it glitter and twirl. Her movements were smooth and graceful in spite of the nervous tension that made her all but tremble.

Today was the big day, the day she had awaited and dreaded for centuries. Today was the day the emperor would ask her to ensure his next, and final, victory over Earthrealm in Mortal Kombat.

She was escorted to the throne room by an honor guard of black clad warriors. She stood before Shao Kahn, preparing to 'read the future'. It was all completely ceremonial; she already knew what the outcome was. The crystal rolled into her hand and she held it up to the light, just as she had before every tournament. Just as she always had before, she gave the prediction that Shang Tsung would win.

There was only one difference between this tournament and all the others.

This time she was lying.

* * *

Shao Kahn stood on the dais overlooking the arena, his chosen warriors arrayed before him.

"Are your puny mortals ready for this?" He indicated the hideous monsters that were his champions.

Rayden's eyes flashed with lightning as he glared at the Emperor of Outworld. "Always," he replied grimly.

"_Let Mortal Kombat begin!_"

Rayden drifted back into the shadows of the sidelines as the first combatants entered the ring. The early matches weren't nearly as important as the final rounds. He liked to use this time to study the opposition.

Shao Kahn never changed. He just grew sleeker and more pleased with himself as the years passed. With Shang Tsung on his side, he was unbeatable and he knew it. Rayden squashed the urge to berate himself once again over letting Shang Tsung slip through his fingers. Those victories belonged to Earthrealm! The Emperor noticed Rayden's attention and gave him an arrogant, toothy grin. Rayden looked away in disgust.

He turned his attention instead to the cloaked figure that had been increasingly by Shao Kahn's side in recent years. The clinging robes outlined a womanly form, but he hadn't been able to find out much about her - only that she was some kind of fortuneteller and the emperor's most treasured adviser. One of the very few people he trusted and apparently Outworld's best kept secret. There were plenty whose intense jealousy and lust for power led them to try assassinating the woman, but none ever came close. If she _could_ read the future, she was very good at it.

Though her face was concealed in the shadows of her hood, Rayden felt the weight of her gaze upon him. It was the intensity of her hidden stare that had first alerted him to her presence centuries ago. Since then, he'd sensed her watching him more and more often. In the past he'd tried numerous tactics to disrupt her vigil…glaring, winking, walking towards her, walking away…to no avail. Today he merely returned her stare and very deliberately turned his back. He wasn't in the mood for games.

Today, if his warriors lost, there would be no more Mortal Kombat. Earthrealm would belong to Outworld and Shao Kahn. And if they won? Nine more generations of fighting, at least. He sighed inwardly. Neither was palatable, but at least in the latter Earthrealm would continue to exist freely.

He found himself watching his current chosen, Kung Lao. An amazing fighter, but was he good enough to beat Shang Tsung, who had centuries of practice under his belt? It seemed unlikely but Rayden still had hope. If nothing else, he always had to have hope…

He inhaled the musty scent of the arena and tried not to think about the millions of humans who would pay if Kung Lao failed them, if _he _failed them.

It would all be over soon.

* * *

She meant to leave before the end, but she couldn't pull herself away. Each generation she had watched as Earthrealm's fighters were defeated and Lord Rayden's face grew colder and colder. She wanted more than anything to see a smile warm his face, to see the hope that blossomed when he realized all was not lost. She wanted to see him-

So fixated was she on the thunder god that the end of the battle caught her off guard. Luckily, Shao Kahn's wrath focused on Shang Tsung first and, in the confusion that followed, arms as strong and cold as iron grabbed her from behind, pulling her off the emperor's dais and into the maze of shadowy tunnels.

"You little fool!" A familiar voice hissed, breaking through the terror that had paralyzed Mist. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears as she processed that the murky shadows were not entirely caused by darkness.

"…Fog?"

The darkness fell back and she was encased in a world of gray, everything farther than a few feet obscured from sight. Her old mentor stood before her, dressed in the black uniform and armor of the Shadow Priests, Shao Kahn's elite guard. She drew back instinctively, as much from the dread visage as seeing a man she thought long gone. A bitter smile curled the edges of his lips.

"So you do remember me, O Great Seer." He sketched a mocking bow.

Mist stared at him with wide eyes. She hadn't foreseen _this!_ "I-I thought you were…"

"Dead? Banished? Does it matter?" Fog waved a hand dismissively. "You're damn lucky I'm here _now_."

She stared at him in astonishment. "What do you mean?"

He stepped closer, expression sly. "I've seen the way you stare at Rayden. Why are you helping him?"

"It's not my fault Shang Tsung lost!" she protested.

Fog shook his head. "The emperor won't see it that way. You expect him to believe you didn't see this coming?" She looked away and Fog peered more closely at her face. "You did see it!"

Mist thought quickly. "Nine generations, Fog. This would have been the last Mortal Kombat, and then what use does Shao Kahn have for me?" she asked in a steely voice. "But would I willingly martyr myself for Outworld? For Shao Kahn? For _anyone_? I'm not _that_ self-sacrificing. Don't you think I have a plan?"

She could almost _see_ the gears clicking in his head as he worked it out.

"So now you'll spend nine generations being adored by the other side!" Actually, that was not her plan at all. She just wanted to disappear into Earthrealm, away from the bitterness and rivalry that was Mortal Kombat and Outworld. "But how will you get to Earthrealm?"

She gave him her most endearing smile and had the pleasure of seeing him completely flummoxed.

"Me? But you didn't even know I was going to be here!"

Mist laughed softly. "That's the beautiful thing about 'seeing' the future. Just because you know it works out doesn't mean you always know _how_…"

Fog was staring at her as if she were mad, but his baffled expression was soon replaced with a sinister smirk that reminded Mist far too much of when she'd been a lowly servant. "My turn," he said. "So I will send you to Earthrealm. But you must do something for me in return…"

* * *

In between tournaments, life for the mortal champions was perilous. For Rayden, it was a rollercoaster of hair-raising near misses that had the tendency to occupy his every moment. Once, he had left handling those messes to the mortals, but not anymore. Not since-

He cut off that line of thought without conscious effort. After so many years, it was instinctive.

Since Earthrealm had won, things were even more exciting than usual.

Within days of settling into their new home at the trading post, the thunder god had to step in when warriors from another realm ruthlessly attacked his fighters, violating some of the cardinal rules that protected Earthrealm. He'd given the humans his customary lecture about being on guard and was preparing to leave when something happened that managed to surprise even him.

Kung Lao remarked thoughtfully, "Yes, they sent their most skilled fighter after the crystal."

The words triggered an ancient memory. Rayden backtracked with lightning quickness. "Crystal?" He looked from Kung Lao to the others. Siro was busy bandaging Taja's arm. None of them were paying much attention to their guardian. "Small? Dark red?" Rayden pressed.

Kung Lao's eyes widened. "Yes..."

Rayden was stunned.

_After all these years... _

His heart gave a painful thump.

"Give it to me," he demanded. All eyes were on him now, but no one answered. He could sense their curiosity. He looked from one to the other sternly. "Which one of you has it? I'll take it _now._"

Taja stood, a stubborn set to her jaw. "Tell us what it is!"

Impatiently he launched into a brief summary, unwilling to look too closely at old scars. "It's a means of travel. It brought beings here from another realm timeless years ago. They were..." _don't think of her_ "...men of peace and learning, traveling only for knowledge. One of them died here and it was thought that the crystal was lost forever."

Kung Lao understood, Rayden could see it in his face. "It can take you anywhere," he murmured in a voice tinged with wonder.

Siro snorted sarcastically, "What, like all the other realms?" He'd never really believed Kung Lao's story.

Rayden snapped. This wasn't a game - it was the only clue he had to Titania's fate. He rounded on Siro angrily. "Yes, all the realms! You twist it, you say the words, and you go there. I will have it _NOW_."

They were all giving him those carefully blank stares now. "You understand me, Kung Lao," he warned. "In Shang's hands, or worse Shao Kahn's, it could be a means of disaster."

"And in our hands, an invaluable tool," Kung Lao retorted, rising to his feet defiantly.

"I'm not here to discuss it," Rayden shot back.

"Fine. I've decided to keep it."

"You _CAN'T._"

"I can and I will." Kung Lao spoke calmly, not the least bit concerned with having a berserk thunder god six inches away screaming at him.

_He picks now to grow a backbone,_ Rayden groaned inwardly.

Siro and Taja were also on their feet. "We fought for it," Siro added.

Kung Lao crossed over to join them, the three presenting a unified front for practically the first time ever. "It was you who told me to think for myself and now that I do you want me to just obey your orders?" Kung Lao continued reasonably, though frustration tinged his tone. "Well which is it Rayden?"

Rayden glared at him. "You're trying my patience," he warned.

"Look. I've trusted you my whole life. It's time to return the favor."

They faced him, tense but calm. In any other situation, he would have cheered to see it. But now...they were standing between him and what he wanted most in this world.

_They're right and you know it._

He did know it. Maybe when he calmed down, he'd be able to believe it.

Maybe.

Rayden stepped in close to Kung Lao, looking deep into the monk's eyes. It was the closest he'd ever come to threatening his chosen one. "Guard it well."

Kung Lao met his stare fearlessly. "We will."

Rayden gave him one last, searching look before he turned away. The crystal had been in Earthrealm for who knows how long. Titania could have returned with it. She could be alive or dead or far away in her own realm and he would never know.

"I have a headache," he muttered, vanishing.

* * *

The trio spent the next day recovering from the attack. They tended the trading post quietly, slightly on edge knowing the treasure they guarded. Taja had hidden it again, without telling the others where it was, and they didn't protest. Who better than a thief would know a secure hiding place, after all?

Kung Lao spent a lot of time staring into space. He was the only one with a true inkling of the crystal's value, though none of them quite understood Rayden's rage.

Being the least injured, Siro slipped out near the end of the day to pick up some supplies. Taja started dinner while Kung Lao closed up shop.

Siro returned with the last light of dusk, a silhouette of dim red light and shadows as he crossed the threshold. He passed his packages off to Kung Lao and pulled the heavy door shut behind him, barring it for the night.

No sooner had he dropped the wooden slab into place than a blood-curdling scream echoed from the street. Siro flinched away from the door and Kung Lao stared with wide eyes. "It sounded like it was right on our doorstep," he murmured into the unnatural silence that followed.

Taja came running from the kitchen, clutching a heavy iron frying pan like a club. "What the hell was that?" she demanded, gesturing to the door.

"I don't know…but I'm going to find out!" Siro's muscles bulged as he lifted the bar with one hand and shoved the door open with the other. Kung Lao quickly deposited the supplies on a low table, freeing his arms as he struck a loose fighting stance. Moving to stand beside him, Taja brandished her frying pan as the door swung open.

The last dying rays of the sun faded away at that instant, leaving darkness outside that was illuminated only by the halo of light spilling through the door. Sure enough, there was a figure crouched just outside. Or sprawled, more accurately, with unnatural stillness.

Siro reached out cautiously and gripped the cloaked shoulder. He pulled his hand away quickly. "Cold!" he told his companions in astonishment.

"Frozen, actually," a voice said from the darkness. The three snapped to alert again, scanning the shadows, only then realizing that roiling clouds obscured everything beyond where they were huddled. A black-clad figure materialized in the darkness but did not approach.

"What do you want?" Siro demanded suspiciously.

The man smiled and brushed imaginary dust from his tunic. "I've already got it." He focused on the still figure. A gust of wind knocked the figure's cloak off, revealing a woman with delicate features fixed in an expression of frozen horror.

Kung Lao knelt, touching the chilled skin of the woman's face gently. "Who is she? What have you done to her?"

The man stared at her with pale, icy eyes. "Just another traitor." His gaze turned to the kneeling monk. "I know who you are, Kung Lao. Unlike most of my…brethren…in Outworld who would literally kill for a chance to face you, I am not so foolish. Your time will come."

Kung Lao met his gaze with a calm intensity, sensing Siro and Taja at his back. "I think you should leave," he told the man quietly.

To everyone's vast surprise, the man merely gave them a mocking smile before vanishing into the swirling shadows. "Your time will come," his voiced echoed around them. And then, very softly, "It's been foreseen."

Within seconds, the fog had faded away, leaving the only the dark fuzzy shapes of ordinary buildings in the night.

"Help me get her inside," Kung Lao murmured, scanning the darkness once more before lifting the frozen woman from the doorstep. Siro bent to help him. As the men trooped back in with their ungainly burden between them, Taja locked the door behind them with a sheepish grin. Kung Lao and Siro exchanged glances.

"What?" Siro demanded at last.

"Hope you're not too hungry," she said with a slight grin, waggling the frying pan at them.

Siro sighed and rolled his eyes. "Since it's so conveniently _empty_ I guess you can use it to heat some water. I think we'll need it." Taja gave a brief nod and returned to the kitchen as the other two struggled up the stairs and gently deposited the woman in one of the guest rooms.

"I wonder who she is," Kung Lao mused.

Siro frowned. "A traitor, he said."

"Maybe someone on our side then."

"I wouldn't trust her." The two exchanged knowing glances. "I'll stay with her first," Siro added. "Get some sleep."

Kung Lao nodded. "Wake me if she comes to."


	7. Chapter 6 – Ghosts

Author's Notes: There is a nod in this chapter to one of my most favorite authors, Peter S. Beagle, and his animated movie, The Last Unicorn.

Chapter 6 - Ghosts

_And if you could see what it's done to me,_  
_To lose the love I knew,_  
_Could safely lead me to_  
_The land that I once knew,_  
_To learn as we grow old_  
_The secrets of our soul._

When Mist woke, she felt…strange. Her entire body was tingling. She opened her eyes and saw an unfamiliar ceiling. She sat up abruptly and the tingling intensified. The coarse blanket that had been draped over her fell to her waist and she was momentarily surprised to see the long-sleeved, lightweight gray tunic she was wearing. Memory filtered back. Under the blanket she knew she would find loose-fitting gray pants in the same fabric. She was wearing Fog's colors.

"You're awake." She jerked towards the noise; the words were spoken with strength, almost a challenge. A man was sitting in a wooden chair against the far wall. The closed door beside him was the only visible exit. The room was dimly lit and smaller than she expected, though the man was far enough away that she relaxed a tiny bit. He waited silently as her eyes traveled around the room and eventually came to rest on him again. Though he was slouched in the chair, relaxed and nonchalant. His arms were bare and she could see the tension in those big muscles.

"Yes," she answered hesitantly. "Who are you?"

"I'll ask the questions," he said, eyes glittering dangerously. "Who are _you_? Why was that man chasing you?"

Mist frowned. "I'm-"

Her words broke off as the door cracked open.

"How is she?" a quiet voice asked.

The man glared at the intruder with exasperation. "She's fine, I just want to ask her a few questions."

"Siro! She's our guest," the second man chided gently. The door opened further as he stepped into the room and Mist gasped.

"Kung Lao!" The words spilled from her lips before she could stop them.

Both men stared at her. "How do you know my name?" Kung Lao asked. Siro rose to his feet to stand defensively at his friend's back.

Mist shook her head slowly from side to side, unable to break her gaze from the monk's. "You are the last victor of Mortal Kombat. Everyone knows your name." Her voice sounded choked.

"What do you know of Mortal Kombat?" Siro demanded. She could only stare at him fearfully with wide eyes.

They both kept their gaze locked on her. "The man chasing her said he was from Outworld," Kung Lao murmured to Siro, then turned his full attention back to Mist. "Why was he chasing you?"

Mist's mind raced. Fog had been angry, he'd taken her by surprise when he attacked. He'd been true to his word in delivering her to Earthrealm, but dropping her on the champion's doorstep was not what she had expected.

Lowering her eyes, she fiddled nervously with the blanket on her lap, took a deep breath, and told the story she had rehearsed a thousand times.

"I'm from Earthrealm," she began. "I'm a fortuneteller, a very good one." At Siro's snort she raised an eyebrow coolly before continuing. "Good enough that Outworld thought I would be useful. Shao Kahn kidnapped me, but I refused to work for him. He imprisoned me, tortured me," she shuddered and it was only half an act. She'd seen the emperor torture enough innocents. "It took years, decades, maybe centuries of planning, but in the end I escaped." She shook her head, "But something they did to me must have confused my memories. I don't remember where I belong. The only one I knew I could trust was you, Kung Lao."

She rubbed her forehead. "Does anyone else hear that annoying buzz?"

Kung Lao and Siro exchanged worried glances. "Maybe you'd better get some more rest," Kung Lao suggested. Siro was studying her as if looking for injuries he might have missed.

"I...alright," Mist agreed. She didn't want to be interrogated. If her supposed weaknesses made them accept her story, she wouldn't argue.

Lying back on the blankets, she fell asleep to the sound of whispered voices and the persistent hum in her ears.

* * *

Later, Rayden accosted Kung Lao as he was meditating in the forest.

Kung Lao was in a peaceful trance when a voice spoke to him. "You have company."

The monk cracked open an eye to see the thunder god leaning casually against a nearby tree trunk, his expression serious. "So I see," he replied lackadaisically. He closed the eye again and breathed deeply.

"I mean at home, Kung Lao."

A small smile flickered across his face. "Yes, I know."

"From _Outworld_," Rayden persisted.

With a sigh, Kung Lao realized he was not going to be able to meditate. He rose to his feet smoothly and faced Rayden. "She's a victim. They were going to kill her."

"You don't know that."

"She was _frozen_," Kung Lao frowned. "If we hadn't been there-"

Rayden scowled, "She was frozen on your doorstep, Kung Lao! Doesn't that seem like a little bit of a coincidence?"

"I couldn't just stand by and do nothing," Kung Lao protested.

"That's exactly what you need to do. Outworld's internal squabbles are none of your affair. If you're lucky, they'll be to your advantage…but not if you keep getting in the middle of them."

The two men glared at each other.

Kung Lao shook his head. "She's human, one of us."

"She's _not_ human," Rayden snapped.

The monk's expression was puzzled. "Then what is she?"

Rayden looked away. "I don't know."

"Then how do you know she's not human?"

Rayden merely frowned.

Kung Lao took a deep breath before continuing. "She said she was human, from Earthrealm. She said she was kidnapped a long time ago and brought to Outworld because of her abilities. She spent centuries planning her escape before she-" He stopped, eyes widening.

"That's right. Do you see it now?" Rayden asked solemnly.

"Centuries," Kung Lao breathed.

The god nodded in satisfaction. "Not human."

"The man last night, he said _it's been foreseen_," he remembered. Grabbing his pack, Kung Lao turned in the direction of the village. "I have to warn-" He jumped.

Rayden was standing inches before him. "What's been foreseen?" he asked, blocking Kung Lao's road. "What abilities does she have? You said she's not a fighter. What other abilities interest Outworld?"

"I don't know, she said she's a fortuneteller!" He started to push past but the expression on Rayden's face made him pause.

The god's face had gone ashen but Kung Lao swore he could see a flickering aura around him. Like seeing lightning at the edge of your vision. Then he cursed in a language Kung Lao couldn't understand and vanished.

His own face paling, Kung Lao took off for the trading post at a run.

* * *

Mist woke to the sound of splashing and the ever-present low hum. She opened her eyes to see a large metal basin ornately decorated with bronze gilding had been dragged into her room. It was already filled with water and a slender young woman with short, cropped red hair was mixing in lavender-scented soap. She dried her hands on a nearby towel as Mist sat up.

"Ah, good morning. Or…afternoon. Whatever." The voice was deeper than expected for one so small and laced with sarcasm. "The guys thought you might like a bath, so they're out enjoying themselves while I'm-" _Babysitting._ "I'm Taja," she finished quickly.

Mist shook her head slowly but the humming continued. "Thank you," she replied quietly, touching her ears. She half expected them to be vibrating.

"Something wrong?" Taja asked.

Mist climbed out of bed and stood unsteadily. Damn Fog! His attack had nearly crippled her. The hum intensified to an irritating buzz as she swayed on her feet. Taja moved quickly to offer support.

"There's something wrong with my ears," Mist told her guardian truthfully. "I'm still so weak."

"Yeah that's Outworld for you," Taja muttered. She helped Mist to the edge of the basin and hesitated for a moment. "Er, do you need help…?"

Realizing the girl was offering to help her undress, Mist drew herself up regally…as much as one could when leaning heavily on the lip of a bathtub. "I can manage, thank you," she replied coolly.

Perhaps her tone was harsher than she realized. Taja drew back with a frown. "Fine, I'll just be in the other room." She left without looking back, closing the door firmly behind her.

Mist sighed and began slowly stripping off her garments. Well, earning the trust of Earth's warriors was not going to be easy. What in the world was Fog thinking? Instead of disappearing anonymously into Earthrealm, she was at the one location where hostile eyes turned most often. On the other hand, Mist didn't even know how to be human. Sure, they looked similar to her, but she had lived in Outworld for as long as she could remember (which was a very long time) and Outworlders behaved completely different from those in Earthrealm. At least at Kung Lao's her strangeness would be understood and she could be herself...more or less.

Shaking her head to dispel her disjointed thoughts, Mist lowered herself gently into the water. Taja had added a generous amount of soap and bubbles drifted across the surface in glistening clouds. The water was only warm, not hot as she would have preferred, but it still felt wonderful on her abused body. The heat seemed to seep into her recently frozen muscles. With a low moan of relief, she reclined in the tub.

A scalding heat pressed into her left shoulder and the buzzing abruptly cut off.

Mist lurched away from the sensation, sloshing water over the edge of the tub. As soon as she moved, the buzzing returned louder than ever. She twisted around, searching for the source of the sensation. The only thing behind her was one of the gilded knobs that decorated the basin. She reached for it experimentally, passing her hand close to it. No heat emanated from the surface, so she pressed her fingers against it.

A burning wave flowed over her hand and up her arm. Mist yanked her fingers back with a shriek, fully expecting to see blisters, but her skin was smooth and unburned. The sensation faded almost instantly. She imagined the buzzing sounded almost…excited. She stared at the knob. Magic was at work here.

From the other room, Taja called, "Everything okay in there?"

Without looking away from the knob, Mist called back, "Everything's fine!" Magic was her domain, not the Earth warriors'.

Steeling herself for the backlash, she wrapped her fingers firmly around the knob. Heat assailed her and she realized the water around her was boiling, though strangely it did not scald her. Her body relaxed into the power, healed and strengthened by it. Mist pulled on the knob and it came off easily in her hand. No longer a gentle hum, the power pulsed in her head as she saw the narrow hole carved into the side of the tub. She reached inside and her fingers brushed something cool and hard.

Spots danced at the edge of her vision as her magic touched another. It was unfamiliar to her and yet her power responded to it like an old friend. Drawing the object out of the crevice, she blinked her eyes until her eyesight cleared. In her hand was an oblong red crystal. She had never seen it before, and yet…

"I know you," she whispered, trailing fingers down the surface of the stone. The light of magic flickering within it was mesmerizing.

Loud voices in the adjoining room caught her attention and she replaced the knob quickly. She was preparing to rise from the water when the door flew open with a crash. She quickly slipped back down into the concealing bubbles and dropped the crystal into the water.

The man in the doorway was familiar to her, though she would not have chosen to meet him while huddled in her bath, naked and vulnerable. She knew instantly that he was in a murderous rage, though his face was mostly hidden in the shadows. Except for his eyes. Eyes that glowed a brilliant electric blue and seemed to pierce her lies and defenses straight through to her soul.

"Thunder god!" Mist gasped.

_He knows!_

Rayden's eyes blazed with fury and he knew well the ominous light show he was creating. Taja had tried to stop him, but she didn't know. She didn't understand who she was sheltering or how dangerous her houseguest was. He stepped through the door, prepared to attack.

Finding his enemy naked and wet in a tub of lavender-scented bubbles was not something he'd planned for.

He also wasn't expecting her to be beautiful. Pale, pale blue eyes and the slightest flush to her cheeks were the only colors she had. Her damp skin was the alabaster white of someone who had lived too long without sunlight and her white-blonde hair was slicked back wetly against her scalp. She met his gaze boldly, though he could see the fear that lurked within.

He hesitated.

"I _told_ you she was bathing!" Taja yelled, interpreting his hesitation as embarrassment. Which wasn't entirely untrue. She pushed past him with a robe, glaring at him.

"_No!_" The word exploded across the room like the crack of a whip. Taja's head spun around toward her houseguest as if she had been slapped. Mist was studying Rayden through narrowed eyes.

"What?" Taja asked in confusion.

Mist smiled. "If he wants to speak with me so badly, let him stay. But there's no reason for me to delay my bath." She made a point of turning her back on the intruder, carefully keeping herself concealed as much as possible beneath the bubbles, and sponged some soap along her arms. She glanced over her shoulder. The crystal bumped gently against her thigh as she moved.

Taja was looking at her as if she'd gone mad. Rayden had a slight smile playing along the edges of his lips, as if he might be amused if he wasn't so angry.

Swallowing her nervousness, Mist focused on Taja. "Leave us," she commanded regally.

The other woman frowned. "Fine, suit yourself." She tossed the robe to one side and scowled at Rayden as she left. "Hope _one_ of you knows what you're doing, at least," she muttered, shutting the door. He ignored her.

As soon as they were alone, Rayden took a step forward menacingly. Lightning flickered through his eyes.

Mist dropped all pretense of bathing and turned to face him again. "Don't!" she warned.

He smiled and it was an unpleasant smile, so similar to the Emperor's that she shivered. He took another step. "Or what?" he asked. "Don't you know who I am?"

She bit her lip and stared at the bubbles. She reminded herself that above and beyond Fog's manipulations, she was indeed on Earthrealm's side now. If she could only convince Lord Rayden…

She met his glowing eyes calmly. "I know you," she said quietly. "If I was blind I would know what you are."

"And I know you," he replied equally quietly. "You're the reason Earthrealm has lost so many warriors. You're the reason we were nearly obliterated by Outworld. You've been telling them how to beat us."

"But you won this time, didn't you?" she replied matter-of-factly.

Puzzlement momentarily extinguished the electric glow of Rayden's eyes, but it quickly returned in force. He raised a hand a ball of liquid fire formed in the air. "So you admit it!" he snarled.

"Stop!" Mist rose halfway to her feet, forsaking modesty. Again, the god hesitated when confronted with her vulnerable femininity. _Soft_, she thought to herself. _He wouldn't last in Outworld_. She rose slowly from the water, one hand extended as if to push the god away from her. Bubbles trailed wetly down her body. She stepped backwards over the lip of the tub, putting it between herself and Rayden.

He resisted the urge to let his eyes wander over her nude form, but he did notice that her hair was much longer than he'd thought. It clung wetly to her back and hips. Actually, his eyes narrowed, she did look familiar…but he'd never seen beyond the concealing cloaks and deep hoods she favored until now.

Then she twisted her hand so the palm was facing up and a smooth, perfect crystal orb appeared in her hand. Power flared and he felt his jaw drop. "_Don't_," she hissed. "Don't come a step closer."

Rayden's own power was extinguished like a candle being snuffed out and his rage with it. He could only stare in shock at the crystal and her hauntingly familiar face. "You…" He began, but his voice sounded strangled and he couldn't continue. Her words echoed in his head.

_I know you. If I was blind I would know what you are._

_He_ hadn't recognized _her_.

He took a step forward and stumbled over the bath tub, knocking it aside. Soapy water sloshed across the floor. He fell to his knees with a loud thud but hardly noticed. "You…"

Mist's expression moved slowly from steely determination to confusion. Perhaps there wasn't going to be a fight after all. "What?" she snapped. "What about me?"

"You…" He closed his eyes, breathed deeply, and when he looked at her again there was such sorrow in his eyes that she felt she might weep herself. He reached for her, but it was no longer with anger but some gentler emotion that made her tremble in an entirely different way. "Don't you know me?" he asked forlornly, his hands only inches from her own.

It was her turn to gape. What did he mean? Hadn't she already answered that question? "I-" she began, but at that moment several things happened at once.

Kung Lao burst through the door, breathless and panicked. Rayden vanished, surprisingly without the usual rumble of thunder. And he took Mist's crystal with him, leaving her standing powerless and shaking and extremely naked.

For a moment, Kung Lao and Mist merely stared at each other.

Then there was an earsplitting shriek and Kung Lao stumbled back out the door, face beet red.


	8. Chapter 7 – Mortal Fear

Chapter 7 – Mortal Fear

_I have seen the moment of my greatness flicker,_  
_And I have seen the eternal Footman hold my coat, and snicker,_  
_And in short, I was afraid._

Siro walked into the trading post casually, a worn canvas bag over one shoulder. "I'm home!" he yelled. "Hey!"

Mist came flying out of the guest room, tying her damp hair up in a messy chignon. "Leave me alone," she snarled. He caught a glimpse of a murderous glare on her face as she pushed past him and hurried into the street.

"What's going on?" Siro asked as Kung Lao and Taja came running after her.

"Ask Taja!" Kung Lao yelled over his shoulder as he followed Mist into the crowd.

"But-" Taja hesitated in the doorway, then scowled. "C'mon!" she ordered, hurrying after Kung Lao.

Siro shrugged and tossed his bag to one side. "It's never dull around here," he sighed, and took off after Taja.

The streets were crowded at this time of day and it was difficult to move quickly through the throngs of people, let alone follow someone. He knew Taja would have no trouble - she was a thief after all - and he was thankfully tall enough to see over the top of the crowd. Taja's carrot-red hair stuck out like a signal fire.

"What's going on?" he yelled over the noise of the mob as he caught up.

Taja shook her head, not daring to break her eyes off Kung Lao's back. "Not sure," she shouted back as they continued to weave and dodge. "Rayden walked in on Mist in the bath and then Kung Lao came back in a complete panic and went in after him."

"Which explains her mood," Siro mused.

Taja nodded. "Right, but not Kung Lao's. I mean, when has he ever cared if Rayden's a lecher?"

"Hmmm," Siro replied thoughtfully. Just then they caught up with the monk. He was frozen in the middle of the street, scanning the crowds fixedly with a worried frown.

"She's gone?" Taja gasped, trying to catch her breath after the wild chase.

"Kung Lao, what's going on?" Siro demanded. He brushed his hair back from his face irritably. It felt like he'd been asking that a lot lately.

Giving the street one last searching look, Kung Lao turned to his friends. "Let's go back to the trading post and I'll explain everything."

"Shouldn't we keep looking for Mist?" the other man asked.

"I'm sure she'll be fine. She's a very dangerous woman." Kung Lao pushed past them distractedly and Siro exchanged a look with Taja.

If Kung Lao's actions were any indication, something big was up.

* * *

Mist watched with a sinking heart as the three heroes departed. Though she was standing in the shadows of a nearby building, she should still have been plainly visible. That Kung Lao's keen eyes had missed her meant that more than the hand over her mouth and the dagger at her throat were concealing her presence.

It could only be one of Shao Kahn's shadow priests.

She did not tremble, though that was as much due to the sharp blade against her skin as it was her own bravery. She had known they would find her at some point, but she had expected it would take longer. She had hoped to have...well, she'd never expected she might be left completely powerless. Curse that Thunder God! Whatever possessed him to take her crystal?

The shadow priest backed up, dragging her through a portal and into Outworld. As the sunlight was cut off, Mist noticed for the first time how _dark_ Outworld really was.

The priest released her and she spun around, assuming the haughty air that was so natural to her Outworld persona. "How dare you?" she hissed. "Don't you know who I am? The emperor has sent me-"

Her words cut off as the man removed his mask with a low chuckle.

"Come now, Mist, we both know _Shao Kahn_ didn't send you anywhere," he said.

Mist drew a long shuddering breath. "Fog. You scared me half to death."

"As well I should have. For he _has_ sent us to find you." His smile was sinister. "You're lucky I'm the one that found you first."

She glared at him. "Yes, you knew where to look after all. It must be easy when you left me more than half dead not a day before!"

His grin only widened. "Hardly, my dear. If you'd been more than half dead, you wouldn't have the energy for that fiery glare. You certainly _look_ recovered."

She was suddenly aware that she was wearing only the loose tunic and trousers that Fog had given her, with her hair still piled in an uncombed mess atop her head. And she was to go before the emperor...the _angry_ emperor.

Suddenly Fog's leers were a lot less worrisome. Cursing under her breath, she pulled the pins from her hair and combed her fingers through it desperately. It was unfortunate she could do nothing about her clothes but she doubted a trip to her old rooms was in Fog's plans. If her wardrobe hadn't already been destroyed.

Fog lounged comfortably against the wall as he watched her harried preparations and she raised an eyebrow at his uncharacteristic patience. "Something?"

"Why, no," he replied nonchalantly, pretending to study his fingernails. "Just wondering what you plan to tell Shao Kahn when he interrogates you."

"Afraid I'm going to tattle on you?" she taunted.

"Do I look afraid? If you want to die, I'll do it now and save you the trouble of getting me killed along with you."

She gave him a bemused smirk. "Such loyalty."

"I could say the same for you!" he replied with a snarl. "Did you learn _anything_ from the humans?"

Mist tilted her head to the side, contemplating him. Fog knew her loyalties didn't lie with Outworld, but if he expected her to betray Earthrealm then who _did_ he think she was loyal to? She shook her head. "I was there less than a day. Don't be ridiculous. I barely even had a chance to meet them, let alone learn their secrets." _Not that I would tell you if I had!_

"But you would tell them _our_ secrets, wouldn't you? Especially _Rayden_." She gave him a startled look.

"I'm not going to betray you." she said quietly. "You forget, I didn't even know you were going to be involved so I won't have to bother omitting you when I explain to the emperor."

"Let's just hope your story is as good as you seem to think," Fog drawled, baring his teeth at her in a wicked grin. "You were mine long before you belonged to Shao Kahn and I would be happy to remind you of it if the emperor...discards you." Mist glared at him but shivered in spite of herself.

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her swiftly towards Shao Kahn's throne room. Two other Shadow Priests joined them. Even though she had made no attempt to escape, they bound her hands and dragged her through the corridors to the throne room. She let herself hang limply in their grasp.

When the guards dropped her before the dais, she lifted her head just enough to catch of glimpse of the emperor. He was indeed enraged. She had never seen him look so ominous.

"You." His voice was hot with loathing even as he remained casually seated on his throne. "You will pay _dearly_ for your treachery. After all these years-"

"After all these years, wouldn't you like to know the _exceptional_ reason I must have for my actions?" She said, her voice ringing out confidently. Prisoners weren't supposed to speak, especially not to interrupt the emperor. The leader of the guards cuffed her in the back of the head and the next thing she knew her face was melded to the floor. Someone grabbed her hair and pulled. The emperor loomed over her, his eyes like spots of flame behind his skull mask.

"_Do you think I care?_" he snarled. Releasing her, he stomped up the steps to his throne, waving an idle hand as he prepared to dictate her death.

"Wait!" She spoke quickly, before the guards could stop her again. "How many generations have I been loyal? Do you think I would betray you now without a _very_ good reason? Or perhaps it is not betrayal at all, if you knew what I know..."

The emperor hesitated. Mist took a deep breath. Time to play her ace.

"Wouldn't you like to see the Thunder God on his knees before you?"

The burning eyes turned back to her and the guard raised his arm to hit her again, but Shao Kahn made a gesture, stopping him. "What?"

"I've seen it," she replied simply.

The emperor growled, "Like you saw Outworld _losing_?"

Mist lifted her head and met the burning eyes without guilt. "Like I saw Outworld losing."

He sat down on his throne. He was still furious, but now she had given him something to think about. Her calm defiance made him wonder what she knew. Cautiously, she began to climb to her feet. When the guards made no move to stop her, she stood straight and proud before him, staunchly ignoring the chains on her ankles and wrists. As he studied her, she hoped he was remembering the countless times in the past she had stood before him thus and never once had her predictions led him to failure.

He beckoned her forward and her knees trembled as she climbed the low steps to the dais. Concentrating on keeping her steps smooth and graceful, she didn't realize his intentions until it was too late.

A meaty hand wrapped around her throat, choking her air supply down to the thinnest breaths. She struggled in his grasp, blood pounding in her ears, fighting to draw as much air into her lungs as possible. The emperor was unmoved; his eyes never left her face as he dismissed Fog and the other priests with an idle wave. "The excuse does not exist that could spare your life, but I will make use of you one last time. You _will_ tell me everything before you die," he snarled.

Mist could only nod and hope her story would be enough to change his mind. His grip loosened just enough that she could draw breath to speak, but no more. She choked out one word. "Un..beat..able."

"What?" he snarled.

Her nostrils flared as she worked to inhale. "Kung Lao could...not lose...until after he...won." Her air exhausted, she tried to breathe in too quickly and gagged. The emperor threw her from him in disgust.

The pain of landing on the hard stone floor was nothing compared to the sweetness of a full, deep breath. Mist lay unmoving for a few moments, relishing the air that filled her lungs. But Shao Kahn was not a patient man.

"What," he snapped, "does that mean?"

She drew herself into a sitting position but did not stand. Though her legs curled gracefully beneath her, one hand still massaged her throat. She kept her head bowed meekly. Now was the time to convince the emperor of her allegiance. When she spoke her voice, though raspy, was collected and thoughtful as it always was.

"I saw it after Shang Tsung's last victory," she explained. So far, truth. "Kung Lao is a very rare person. He had a destiny to compete in Mortal Kombat and win." Also truth. "Until he had done that, no power in all the realms could touch him. No opponent could have defeated him in that fateful match." Half truth. Outworld had no warrior who could have bested Kung Lao, but Shao Kahn would have assassinated the human long ago if he knew this. But the past was unimportant...it was the future she must interest the emperor in now.

"I saw beyond that. Kung Lao became vulnerable as soon as he returned home after the tournament. His weaknesses are still concealed from me, but the closer I am to him, the clearer I will see the way to your triumph."

Shao Kahn was no fool. "And so you went to Earthrealm. I see. But why flee like a cowardly traitor? Why such subterfuge?"

Mist folded her hands in her lap demurely. "What would you have done if I told you there was no way to win the tournament? And if I had waited afterwards, would you have heard me out or killed me on the spot?" Her voice grew stronger. "I will give you Kung Lao's death as proof of my loyalty."

Still mulling over what should have been his final victory in Mortal Kombat, the emperor began to speak, but Mist continued in a bold, clear tone. Her eyes glazed slightly as she spoke the words of her vision.

"...And from there all Earthrealm will fall before you. None who conspire against you will remain, and the thunder god himself will kneel at your feet."

Of course, that was exactly what she meant to _prevent_, but there was certainly no need to tell him _that_.

"So," he mused. "I trusted you before and you betrayed me, and now you ask me to trust you again, all because of some...vision you _claim_ to have seen." An icicle of fear crept down her spine as Shao Kahn leaned forward in his throne, eyes boring into hers menacingly. "What reason do you think that-"

"My lord."

Shao Kahn actually blinked in surprise and Mist nearly jumped out of her skin. Fog was kneeling near the door. He had not left when ordered.

"What is the meaning of this?" Shao Kahn demanded.

"Forgive me," Fog said shortly, "but I know this woman. I knew her before she became your seer - it was I who trained her." Mist stared at him fearfully, frozen like a small animal caught in a trap. One word from him would bring her death swiftly; Shao Kahn trusted his shadow priests as he trusted no others. "She confided all her secrets to me," Fog continued. His gaze lingered on her momentarily and then lowered respectfully before the emperor.

"I will vouch for her."

Had she not already been sitting, Mist would have fallen. She schooled the astonishment and relief from her face before turning back to the emperor. Now she rose to her feet, though not as smoothly as she would have liked. She faced him once again as the proud sorceress. She smiled.

"Give me but a little time, and I will deliver you the world."

And Shao Kahn returned his most sinister grin. "Don't think this means you've avoided your punishment."

Mist's grin remained frozen on her face even as she bowed her understanding. Inside, she was trembling. Shao Kahn didn't know she was without her magic now. She may not be able to withstand his usual tortures. The missing crystal meant she couldn't peek ahead and see what to do to survive, but she also didn't dare resist the emperor in any way.

She spared only a single glance for Fog, trying to communicate her desperation in that brief look, but he merely seemed confused.

Weakly, Mist bowed her head and stepped forward to what may be her doom.

* * *

Rayden was used to being in control.

He was, after all, the Protector of Earthrealm, guide and guardian to the human race. He thought he did the job fairly well, in general.

Yet sometimes he wondered if he was good for anything at all.

He sat at the table in his hidden abode. Before him was a perfectly round, translucent crystal. It was the gem he had taken from Mist. He'd recognized the power instantly.

Reaching into his robe, he removed an identical orb, one which had been given to him countless years ago by the only woman he had ever truly loved. Placed together, the two crystals glowed softly.

His mind was awhirl with confusion. All these years he'd searched for Titania and she'd been so close, staring him right in the face once every generation. But _why_ was she working for Shao Kahn? It was ridiculous. He knew she loved Earthrealm. Yet he also knew it had to be her farseeing magical eyes that led Outworld to victory time and time again. He cursed himself for never putting two and two together – Titania's disappearance into Outworld and Shao Kahn's acquisition of a powerful fortuneteller.

And her altered appearance, what did that mean? Her skin and hair were an ashy white, as if she truly were turning into her new namesake. She'd been pale before, but with rosy cheeks and sun-kissed hair. And why hadn't she recognized _him_? She knew his title of course, but there was no personal connection.

Rayden shook his head. Something had gone very wrong and he needed to sort it out quickly, but ancient memories clouded his thoughts.

He rested his face in his hands tiredly. It had been days since she vanished from the trading post. Kung Lao, Siro and Taja were on the lookout for her, but they didn't understand who she truly was. The thunder god himself didn't know anymore whether they sought friend or enemy. One part of him yearned to destroy the powerful Outworld ally and the rest of him just wanted _her_.

Then his head snapped up. He felt a portal from Outworld open and he vanished instantly, determined to track every 'visitor' until he got some answers.

He reappeared near the center of Zhu Zin, already thinking how taxing it would be to keep up with _every_ portal. As it turned out, the thought was completely unnecessary, for this portal brought a shadow priest with an unconscious Titania in his arms. Rayden felt a surge of triumph, but it was quickly swept away as he took stock of the situation.

The shadow priest had laid Titania on the ground and was bending over her in a surprisingly caring manner. Her clothes were torn to shreds and ugly bruises and welts showed through the gaps. Lightning kindled in Rayden's eyes.

"Get away from her!" he thundered, literally.

The priest jumped up, away from Titania, and instinctively dropped into a fighting stance. Immediately he recovered and began edging back to the unconscious woman's side.

"Don't!" Rayden ordered.

The priest faced the thunder god stubbornly. "You can't have her!" he yelled. "She's mine. She belongs to me!"

Rayden just looked at the man, and the air became electric. Being a shadow priest, he showed no reaction but Rayden knew how he must be feeling right now: like his skin wanted to crawl from his bones and run away. The god tilted his head almost curiously but lightning danced through his eyes.

"_No one_ owns a goddess," he said quietly.

The shadow priest glanced nervously from Rayden to Titania and then made a decision. In a heartbeat, he vanished through a portal.

Rayden's eyes bled back to blue as he knelt and gathered Titania into his arms. She didn't stir as he transported her to his home, laying her gently on the bed. Her breathing was weak and shallow but he placed his hands on her and healed her wounds, grimacing at the damage she had sustained. It shouldn't be possible to do this to someone of her caliber!

A flickering light caught his attention and he realized the two orbs, left on the table in his haste, were pulsing with soft light. He picked up the nearest one, the one she had carried with her all these years, and studied it thoughtfully. Titania needed energy as much as healing. Perhaps if he...

He held the crystal over Titania, but though the glow intensified, nothing happened.

"Help her, dammit!" he growled.

The crystal flashed once with blinding light and vanished like a burst bubble.

Rayden watched hopefully as Titania began to glow with the same pure white light.

Then she began to scream.


	9. Chapter 8 – Flashback

Chapter 8 - Flashback

_I am not from here,_  
_my hair smells of the wind_  
_and is full of constellations_  
_and I move about this world_  
_with a healthy disbelief_  
_and approach my days and my work_  
_with vaporous consequence_  
_a touch that is translucent_  
_but can violate stone._

WHAT HAPPENED TO TITANIA

She was following the trail of the crystal with such single-minded intensity that it was some time before she realized how far she had walked.

She paused, assessing her surroundings critically. She had no idea where so was, but it didn't matter. Once she had recovered the dimensional gem, she could open a portal anywhere she pleased. Not that she had any intention of leaving until she had her revenge.

Speaking of which, Titania frowned at the crystal in her hand. It should have led her directly to the other crystal, but every time she thought she was getting closer, it began to lead her in a different direction. She wished she had her magic back in her body where it belonged.

Suddenly, a man appeared before her. The crystal flashed brightly and yanked Titania forward. She stumbled and fell into the man's arms, only getting a brief glimpse of his startled expression as she fell.

"Well well, what a pleasant surprise," he chuckled, the laughter rumbling in his chest against Titania's ear. She jumped back quickly, embarrassed. "And what have we here?"

Titania gasped, for the stranger was now holding her crystal, which had gone dim and lifeless. He held it up to the light and rolled it gently in his palm before turning his attention to Titania. She took another step back cautiously. There was a strange look in his eyes that frightened her.

"What brings you to Outworld?" he drawled, his eyes wandering across her curves. "Oh, pardon me," he bowed at the wait, "I'm Fog." He raised an eyebrow inquisitively.

"Nothing," she replied shortly.

He blinked. "Nothing?"

"Nothing brings me to Outworld." She held out her hand imperially for her crystal.

"Nothing, is it?" he asked, studying the crystal. "Or perhaps...something?" He lifted his other hand. In his palm, glittering darkly, was the red dimensional crystal.

Titania sighed. "I'm in no mood. So you want something, I suppose. Very well. Two favors, one for each gem. _After_ they are returned to me."

Fog gave her a queer look. "Favors?"

"Yes, that's the way it usually works," she said impatiently, "like a pair of winged shoes for your feet, or the way into your love's heart, or maybe your worst enemy's true name."

"Why would I care about my enemy's name?" Fog asked, looking slightly dazed by the turn of events.

"_True_ names have power," she replied simply.

"What do you mean, true name?" he asked curiously.

Titania laughed at him. "A favor now, a favor later after you return the gems," she offered impatiently. "What do you ask for the first?"

Fog frowned. "Tell me your true name."

Titania stopped laughing.

Fog thought for a moment she would deny his request, but then she gave him a bemused smile.

"You wouldn't know what to do with my true name if you had it. Still," she tapped one finger against rosy lips, a slight frown on her face, "it is no small thing you ask." She pursed her lips and nodded. "Yes, I really think I must have one of the crystals first. It makes no difference which; just hand one over." And she put out her hand.

Fog felt he had somehow lost control of the situation. He of course had no intention of giving her either crystal, and yet...something about the way she spoke drew him in. There was magic in the moment and it infected him as surely as it would an ordinary mortal when dealing with a fae queen. He looked at the two crystals he held, then handed her the red gem.

The spell broke. Titania's eyes gleamed as she opened a portal to Earthrealm and quickly tossed the crystal through. The portal snapped shut as Fog tackled her.

"Witch!" he roared, pinning her arms to her sides. "What did you do to me?"

"Why, not a thing," she replied blithely. She didn't seem to mind that she was being held helplessly on the ground. In fact, her expression was almost disdainful. "You don't have to be mortal to fall prey to the wiles of a woman, especially when that woman is me!"

Fog glared at her in disbelief. "Enough games! You will show me how to use this crystal or I'll turn you over to the emperor!"

Titania face contorted into an unpleasant smile. "I could no more teach you my powers than you could teach me yours. Give me the crystal and take me to your emperor. He owes me a life."

Fog shook his head. "No, _this_ power will be _mine_!"

He kissed her.

Titania's eyes widened in shock. His lips were like ice and she felt her own go numb at the touch. The cold spread across her face and her eyelids grew heavy. As she realized what was happening she began to struggle in earnest. If she could only reach her crystal...

But it was too late. His weight pinned her firmly to the ground and the cold fog spread through her body swiftly. She expected for her body to go numb, but the piercing ache of bitter cold remained in her bones. She wanted to scream but she had lost the power to even whimper.

Fog stood and lifted her limp body in his arms. Being able to create fog was never very impressive, but he had honed his abilities until they became much more sinister. _His_ fog could slow your movements and befuddle your thoughts. It would weaken Titania physically while draining her resolve. Soon she would tell him everything he wanted to know without the slightest protest. She simply would not have the energy or the willpower to resist.

Now, as long as Shao Kahn didn't find out he had captured her...

He crept back to his small hut. It had only one room, though that room would have been quite large if it didn't have furniture shoved against every wall. Fog liked it that way - less chance of someone creeping into his home and catching him unawares. He laid his prisoner on the small cot that served as his bed and stepped back to survey the sleeping beauty. There was a tautness about her face that belied her sleep as unnatural.

Fog smiled. He sat beside her and trailed one finger delicately along her soft cheek. With her knowledge and power, he could be his own master. He would never have to obey Shao Kahn again.

Things were definitely looking up.

* * *

Two months later he wasn't so certain.

For two months, he had started each day by waking Titania from her magical sleep and asking her how to work the crystal. For two months, she had responded by calling for Oberon and Rayden in turn before falling silent and unresponsive. For two months, the energy had been leeched from her body and the only sign of it was that the color had bled slowly out of her skin and hair. Even her eyes had faded until they more closely resembled ice than the summer sky.

Two months of analyzing the crystal on his own unsuccessfully. Two months of skulking in the shadows and hiding Titania's presence from Shao Kahn's spies. Fog bitterly reflected that he felt the strain more than Titania appeared to. Still, he counseled himself to patience. It would pay off in the end. Perhaps even today.

He woke the woman as usual. She opened her eyes slowly, as if the lids protested the movement, but otherwise lay still. "Tell me how to use the crystal," he ordered.

Her eyes wandered slowly across his face and focused on the gem. "Crystal," she whispered. A pained expression crossed her face and Fog leaned forward eagerly. She was responding to him! She sighed heavily and laboriously lifted her arm. "Let me have it," she said sadly.

He eyed her suspiciously. "You'll show me how it works?"

She closed her eyes. Her outstretched hand trembled. "I can't go on like this. Please."

Fog hesitated. "There is nowhere you can run and no one who will help you," he reminded her. He placed the gem in her hand.

Titania sighed, this time heavy with relief. Her fingers closed around the smooth orb. It began to glow softly, then intensified...brighter and brighter until it was like a small sun in Fog's little hut. He heard a soft thunk and the light went out abruptly. Fog blinked quickly to clear the spots from his eyes.

Titania was unconscious, a small smile gracing her face. Her hand was limp at her side; the noise he'd heard was the crystal falling from her grip to land on the floor. He picked it up, cursing. After a moment's study, he could see no difference. It still refused to respond to him. He shook Titania, slapping her face when she didn't wake immediately.

She opened her eyes and sat up with a startled gasp.

"What have you done?" Fog demanded.

She looked at him with wide, helpless eyes. "What have I done? I don't know...what have I done?" Her voice sounded confused, but there was a rising thread of hysteria to it. "Who are you? What is this place? _What have I done?_"

Fog slapped her again and she subsided, clutching her cheek. Tears filled her eyes and she pouted at him. "Calm down," he ordered. "Now tell me everything."

"I can't," she said, and burst into tears. "I don't know anything."

And then he knew exactly what she'd done.

* * *

That should have been the end of it. He should have cut his losses, killed her and been done with it.

But the rest of the day she followed him around with the sad expression of a lost puppy. Frustrated, he sent her to prepare his bed. He'd have it back now, thank you, and she could sleep on the floor. She obeyed without question. He told her to sleep, and she lay down on the floor and closed her eyes, not stirring again until the next morning when he told her to get up.

That's when an idea began to nibble at Fog's brain.

After another day of ordering her around, as she was again preparing his bed, Fog made a decision.

"You will be my slave," he told her. "And you shall be called Mist." Her eyes lit up then and something like life stirred in them. She smiled.

He kept the crystal locked in a secret place and never took it out when she was near. Maybe someday he would unravel its powers on his own.

Someday.


	10. Chapter 9 – The Mists of Memory

Chapter 9 - The Mists of Memory

_I wish you could hold me_  
_in your arms like oceans_  
_and soothe what my muscles remember_  
_all the bruises, all the sour hope_  
_all the screams and scraped knees_  
_the cloudy days so dark_  
_I wondered if my eyes_  
_were even open_

_The days that I felt_  
_like August, and that I, too_  
_would soon turn_  
_to Fall_

She screamed for a long time.

The screams echoed down the centuries of her forgotten life. Memories streamed into a mind that had never been human but had felt the chill of mortality far too closely for far too many years. No single thought was untouched by the pain of remembrance. From joy to sorrow, each emotion evoked in her such poignancy that she felt she must surely die from the sheer _aliveness _of it.

But death had never been possible for one such as her.

She remembered everything.

She was drowning in it. She called upon her power to stop it, but nothing happened. Her memory had returned but her magic was still sealed. She screamed for her brother, begged him to help her, but he was gone, lost to her forever.

Unbeknownst to her, the Protector of Earthrealm sat at her side, frantically trying to calm her. By forcing the crystal upon her, he had unwittingly released all the memories of a goddess into a body and mind that were, essentially, mortal. But he didn't know that…he saw only that she suffered.

Desperately, he grabbed the remaining orb. It held the key to Titania's power, power that he was certain she needed right now, but without Oberon he would never be able to release it. Thus, he was understandably startled when the gem warmed in his hand, pulsing gently. Titania's eyes opened in time with the pulse, but they stared unseeingly at the orb, the pupils so enlarged that the pale blue of her irises was completely subsumed.

Of course! This crystal had once belonged to Oberon. It must hold a remnant of his power within it. He could only hope that it was enough to break the seal. Holding the orb over Titania's writhing form, he took a deep breath…and spoke the words.

Deep in her nightmares, a warm, comforting light washed over the goddess. She recognized Oberon's magic and another that was equally loved but unidentifiable in her hysteria. Two voices spoke together. "You have the power. It belongs to you alone. Take it!"

She was barely aware of reaching for the crystal, clasping it to her breast even as it dissolved. She welcomed the magic into her body like a long-parted lover, screaming in agony and ecstasy as it roared through psychic veins that had been too long without it. It swallowed her up, burned her alive, and perfectly completed her all at once.

For one perfect moment, everything was right.

Then she remembered, again, and everything went wrong.

She struggled briefly, wracked with agony, but she was mentally exhausted. The weight of her past faded in the soft oblivion of deep, rejuvenating sleep.

* * *

As she slept, days passed and turned quickly into weeks. Rayden stayed at her side as much as he was able. Sometimes he wasn't sure if it was due to fear _for_ her or _of_ her. After all the power the crystals had thrown into her, would she even be sane when she woke? Whose side would she be on? Uncertainty plagued him.

Things were uncertain for the mortals as well. Shao Kahn had many enemies and they were all plotting against him. Well and good, except the Earthrealm warriors constantly managed to get in the middle of the skirmishes. It was almost to the point where Rayden was gone from his home more than he was there. Each time he returned, he dreaded that Titania would be gone.

As luck would have it, it was during one of the long, quiet nights when he sat by her side that she finally stirred.

Titania's first semi-conscious thought was that something broken had been healed.

Before she could reach true wakefulness, a powerful vision wracked her mind, spilling into her thoughts without warning and overwhelming her entirely with its potency. Her fall into the future was clumsy, uncontrolled, and completely disorienting.

During her stay in Outworld, she had followed the small snippets of portents that were all her limited power allowed for. It was like leaping from stone to stone in a river with no clue where the opposite bank was. Now she could see not only the bank and the straightest path to it, but the mountain behind it and the path she must take to climb it. The path she had chosen for herself, all unknowing.

Rayden was speaking, trying to comfort her, and she reached for him, consumed by more emotions than she could comprehend at once.

It was Titania the Queen, the Goddess, who buried her face against Rayden's chest, clutching at him as she sobbed. Centuries of regrets, both past and future, rocked her psyche and the resulting outpouring shocked her almost as much as it did Rayden. She was only vaguely aware of him holding her and whispering comforting words.

She had never imagined her trip to Earthrealm would turn out like this. She should never have come. She wanted to go home so badly! And now that horrible vision...

She saw only two options. One was to return home _immediately_ and return to her normal life, or as normal as it could be without Oberon. Earthrealm would be left to its own fate, as it should have been. But she had already unwittingly altered the fate of the realm. The other option was to right what she had begun, to guide Earthrealm down a better path, even if it would be painful and separate her from her home for many more centuries. One offered her safety at the cost of her peace of mind. The other offered great turmoil but the only hope for _true _peace in the end.

It was no choice and Titania knew it. She had come to Earthrealm both out of love and out of loneliness. Whatever the price, she couldn't abandon it to the horrible fate she foresaw.

This was a revelation to her. Centuries ago she had enjoyed Earthrealm and its inhabitants, but not to the point that she would sacrifice herself for it, or them. She had lost her brother, but she had found that one special person _just for her_. Even if they were worlds apart, she could still live happily knowing that he was happy and safe as well.

She was in a position to make a difference for countless realms, but the burden of such responsibility weighed upon her. Though she looked as far down the years as she dared in her newly rejuvenated state, she saw nothing but loneliness and sorrow for herself.

And this is what comes of seeing your own future, she thought bitterfly. It would be a heroic deed for a noble cause. Still...

"I don't want to be alone," she said softly, startled by the sound of her own voice so thick with sorrow.

Her tears had tapered off at some point while she was lost in thought. She felt Rayden's strong arms holding her in a gentle embrace. She had somehow ended up curled in his lap. He was silent and unmoving, and she wondered just how long they'd been sitting like this. As comforting as it was, she could feel the shape of his body against hers. Her senses were hyper-alert; she felt every whisper of movement Rayden made beneath her. She was painfully reminded of why being in Earthrealm had once been so pleasant.

Her cheek was pressed against his chest where the fabric was damp.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, feeling a blush stain her cheeks. She tried to pull away but his arms were locked around her.

Rayden looked down into her startled eyes. They were the only part of her that was unchanged since their first meeting. Her hair remained without a hint of gold, yet somehow shimmered as if stars had become tangled in the long tresses. "Who are you?" he murmured.

Silver-blue eyes widened. "Titania, I'm Titania," she said with a frightened laugh. "Your Titania! Don't you know me?" Her fingers reached to caress his face.

But Titania had forgotten her immortal talents, forgotten how easily the power came at her call and how much her enhanced senses could tell her. The barest touch of her fingers against Rayden's skin brought insights far beyond mortal perception. Their thoughts were momentarily one and she gasped as she saw what lay buried deep beneath the surface.

Painted across his soul in the color of old scars, she saw generations of betrayals. Every loss to Outworld was laid at her feet. Like mountains of precious gems in a dragon's treasure trove, they glittered at her as coldly as the ice that shadowed Rayden's eyes, and as uncaring as the lightning that consumed them.

She drew away from him again and this time he let her. Rising, she withdrew to the window and looked out. It was his favorite scene of the ocean. She addressed him without turning.

"I should not have to bear the responsibility for my actions when I was not myself, but I will take it." The gentle sea breeze rifled through her hair. Her voice was full of melancholy and laced with regret. "I will not ask you to forgive me. I have done you wrong and I cannot undo it." She sighed. "I wish I could tell you that I would not have done it had I known...but I would have. I see now that it's ultimately for the best."

He stirred angrily at her words and already her insight into his soul was fading. He raised barriers between them to protect himself, but they both knew it was far too late for that.

"You claimed to care for Earthrealm, to care for...all of us. Was it a lie?" he demanded. At the sound of his voice so rough with pain, she turned at last. There was such a look of deep sorrow on her face that he started towards her in spite of himself. Her eyes were a thousand miles away but her next words stopped him cold.

"You can't imagine what it's like, to see, to _know._" She shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. "Such power."

He stared at her, aghast. She was trying to tell him something, but he heard only one word. _Power_. The one thing that every immortal seemed to crave beyond all else.

"You served Shao Kahn well." His voice grated like an ugly thing. "You have much in common." The words were unworthy of their deep connection and he knew it. As her eyes slowly refocused on him, he saw the accusation in them. But he refused to acknowledge it.

"Perhaps we are alike," she whispered. "Both blinded by the temptations of Earthrealm."

Between the space of one desperate moment and the next, she turned on her heel and vanished.

Rayden stared stonily at the place where she had stood, letting the black emotions slowly burn through his system until he was left only the emptiness of a broken heart. He slumped in a chair morosely.

For centuries, he had been searching. For centuries, he had been betrayed. He never dreamed the two might be linked to one person.

_"I wish I could tell you that I would not have done it had I known...but I would have."_

Was it all an elaborate ploy, part of Shao Kahn's revenge? No, Titania's feelings had been real enough. And yet she still left him.

Everything was falling apart. Rayden clenched his fists painfully against his thighs, then slowly forced himself to relax. "Nothing a stiff drink won't cure," he muttered.

He wished he could believe it.

* * *

Titania reappeared in the forest outside of Zhu Zin. She meant to head straight for the trading post, but as she looked around, something about the clearing made her pause. Then she realized: it was in almost exactly this spot where she and Oberon had first arrived in this realm ages ago. Tears pricked her eyes at the memory of her brother and she was once again overwhelmed with grief.

Her brother, her eternal companion, was dead. She had never really had a chance to mourn.

Titania thought of her mission. "No. He's been waiting long enough," she murmured, turning aside from the path.

The forest was haunted by the ghosts of her past. Here she walked beside Oberon, laughing in delight at her newfound freedom. There was the enclave she had lived while her brother toured the world, with Rayden as her guardian.

With Rayden...

No, she would not think of the Thunder God. Not yet.

She teleported again, slipping in and out of space with ease.

Here was the place where she and Oberon had parted, now a classy inn and restaurant. There was the place where they were reunited, when they had argued about her love life. And here...here was the place where her brother had breathed his last. She stared at the rough flagstones where Oberon's body had vanished.

How could she continue without him, her constant companion?

She stared down at the dusty street without seeing it, lost in time and memories as the crowd flowed around her. Overwhelmed by sorrow, she swayed gently where she stood. Someone jostled her and she stumbled to her knees, barely noticing as her hands met the ground.

"Mist?" a voice asked.

A haze covered her vision as she looked up and she stumbled to her feet, blinking swiftly to clear the tears from her eyes. A silver-haired man dressed in black stood before her. Her mind returned to the present slowly and finally recognition dawned with the faintest flicker of a tearful smile. "Fog. Have you come to kill me?" she asked tiredly.

He eyed her appraisingly and then, to her astonishment, dropped to one knee before her, head bowed.

"On the contrary, my dear," he drawled, "You are clearly in control now." Considering she was currently having a mental breakdown in the middle of the street, she assumed he meant her returned godhood. He raised his head, eyes burning with a zealous passion. "I sold my soul to Shao Kahn long ago, along with the last shreds of my dignity. He _will _find out that I aided you. But now...you are his equal, if not more. You can free me."

She stared at him for a long moment, wondering how long he had been planning _this _move. "I remember, Fog. I remember everything, but I especially remember your tortures. I could destroy you now, scatter you across time in so many pieces that no one would even remember you existed. I want to do it. Why would I aid you?"

"Name your price," Fog retorted. "My plans are nothing now. I don't want to die. I can be useful to you."

"And what could you possibly offer me?" she started to ask, then paused. She felt suddenly overwhelmed. She was not prepared to deal with Fog and Shao Kahn yet. She was weary of the darkness that lived in men's hearts.

She sighed. "You may be able to help me," she said at last. She held out her hand. Fog kissed the back of it reverently before allowing her to draw him to his feet. Titania scowled. "Don't pretend you've changed," she scolded.

Fog merely smiled a dark smile. "What do you wish of me?"

She led him forward, but it was not through crowded streets. Between one breath and the next, they stood on a cliff overlooking the city. It was the same cliff Rayden had brought her to the night he showed her the stars. She couldn't say why she chose it.

"Mist?" Fog queried, surveying their new surroundings.

"My name is Titania," she replied. "Come with me." She stepped forward to the edge of the cliff.

Fog stepped cautiously beside her. They balanced precariously on the lip of the crevice. The sun was setting. Titania swayed gently on her feet, as if the slightest breeze might push her into the air. The first star of the night appeared and a tear trickled down her face. Fog's eyes traced its path. He looked away uncertainly.

"Why did you vouch for me before Shao Kahn?" she asked in a voice etched with sorrow.

It was not the question he expected. Fog pursed his lips and stared at the sunset before answering. "Shadow Priest is the highest rank I can ever hope to attain in Outworld. Earthrealm would never accept me. With your help, there may be opportunities outside of either of them." He shrugged. "I knew who and what you were. What you are. In short...you're my last hope."

Titania's lips twisted in a bitter smile. "Of course, it's always about power with you," she murmured almost absently. Fog had the feeling she wasn't really listening to his words.

She looked at him then, her pale eyes grown black as the sky, and he would have sworn she didn't know him. He stepped back from the dark gave, but her hand shot out and grabbed his arm in a vice grip. Fog met her gaze and shuddered. "Grieve with me," she whispered, "for the death of my brother." A sob escaped on the last word and her knees gave out.

He caught her just before she tumbled down the steep incline. He knelt on the precipice, his arms full of silky hair, warm skin and salty tears. He held her stiffly, uncertainly, but her outburst was as brief as it was violent, as if she had yearned desperately to cry but had only a few tears left. She pulled away after a few moments and wrapped her arms tightly around her knees. For a time, there was silence between them.

Fidgeting uncomfortably, Fog finally asked, "What happened to your eyes?"

She jumped as if she had forgotten he was there, but when she looked at him her eyes were as clear and pale as they'd always been. "I lost control. A side-effect of my power...the pupils dilate." Her hair obscured her face as she added softly, "it runs in the family."

The awkward silence threatened to return, but Fog had had enough. "When do we return to Outworld?" Titania blinked at him distractedly. "My freedom?"

"Ah, of course. Your freedom." He would need her to barter his soul from Shao Kahn. A smile flickered across her face. Returning to Outworld was already in her plans. "Not just yet."

Fog frowned. "What do you mean?" he demanded, helping her to her feet.

"I have one more thing I must do before we leave, and I'll need your help."

Fog understood. She was asking him to prove his loyalty. "What is this task?" he asked gruffly.

"I have belongings hidden at Kung Lao's trading post. Distract him and his two companions while I retrieve them."

Fog smirked. "And I thought you were all friends. I suppose they didn't take well to learning _your_ role in Mortal Kombat, hmm?"

She frowned a him, but then her expression cleared. "The sun will be rising soon. Look."

He glanced toward the horizon dispassionately, then took a longer look. Rosy tendrils curled across the sky. Shades of orange and yellow rippled outward. For a moment, even Fog's cold heart was moved by the beauty of Earthrealm.

The moment passed quickly. He turned back to Titania, but she was gone. His lips twitched. It was just as well. He had work to do that she would not enjoy.

Unbeknownst to Titania, the shadow priests had new orders from Shao Kahn: all enemies were to be executed. After Titania's disappearance, the Emperor's paranoia had escalated and finally snapped. He wouldn't tolerate any more traitors. Fog would have to think fast to find a way to distract Kung Lao, Siro and Taja without killing them. Their deaths would surely turn her against him. Perhaps if he saved them for last...then she would only have herself to blame, for not freeing him before he was forced to act. Fog was pleased - for the moment, he could serve both his masters.

Titania was on Shao Kahn's list as well, but Fog had already decided against carrying out _that_ order. Killing a god was one impossible task he had no desire to take on. He would have to find a way to force a confrontation between Titania and Shao Kahn. If Titania won, he would be free of Shao Kahn's grip. And if not...nothing lost.

Donning his mask and cowl, he became merely another faceless ninja. By the time the sun had cleared the horizon, only lifeless shadows remained on the ridge.


	11. Chapter 10 – Vengeance is a Blonde

Chapter 10 – Vengeance is a Blonde

_Step into the crisp day_  
_blue sky, dry leaves_  
_shocked to see_  
_the sun still shining._  
_It had grown so dark in there_  
_Breathe in deeply,_  
_the thin air_  
_flashing lungs that have been_  
_crying_  
_tied in knots talking to you again again again_  
_We try too hard-_  
_Do you see?_

Kung Lao was passing by the open door of the tavern when he heard a familiar rumble followed by a girlish giggle.

Rayden spoke. "Nectar of the...well, nectar of me!" He sounded pleased with himself.

"I just _love_ that story!" a female voice replied. "Who are you supposed to be again?"

"I am Rayden, God of Thunder, Protector of the Earthrealm." Though slightly slurred, the words still had the same unmistakable cadence that Kung Lao had heard countless times before.

"Well, Rayman, you are the most _adorable_ god I've ever met."

"No, that's RayDEN, with a D," the god corrected. There was a silly giggle that almost made Kung Lao wince at the lack of intelligence behind it.

He stepped into the tavern and peered into the corner alcove. "Rayden?"

The aloof thunder god had a scantily clad, blonde bombshell seated on his lap. "See, he knows me!" Rayden exclaimed, toasting Kung Lao with his mug.

The monk could only stare in confusion. "What are you doing?"

"I'm having a little drink with my new best friend here," Rayden replied easily, smiling at the girl.

"So I see," Kung Lao replied slowly. "Uh...are you okay?"

"You mean am I drunk?" He chuckled. "Not yet, but I'm working on it. It's tough with my constitution but," he sighed happily, "it's not impossible." On his knee, the girl batted her eyes at him and giggled.

Unfortunately, the Champion of Mortal Kombat was not so easily put off and Rayden found himself sending the girl away for a private talk with his warrior. He quickly summarized their enemies' actions, skipping over Titania and her role in current events. It was her betrayal that had finally drove the Emperor to action. _Damn, I knew that woman would be trouble._

"Shao Kahn is surrounded by enemies," he explained grimly. "It's pushing him over the edge. He'll be more dangerous than ever now." Rayden's expression grew distant. "He's a maniac when insecure. Loves control. There's no limit to what he might do."

Kung Lao's eyes widened. "You mean..."

Their eyes met. "He'll do anything. Kill anyone...or everyone."

In the heavy silence that followed, the blonde magically appeared at Kung Lao's side. She trailed her fingers over his shoulders until he brushed her hands away, then moved back towards Rayden. "Okay boys, I think that's enough talk," she drawled.

"I couldn't agree more," Rayden said, sliding an arm around her slender waist as he settled her in his lap once more. "Care to join us?" he asked the monk rakishly.

Kung Lao gave him a mingled look of disbelief and disgust. "No," he said quietly, departing backward glance.

Only after he left did it occur to Kung Lao that the blonde reminded him of the fugitive woman they'd harbored some time ago, the one who'd had Rayden so upset when she vanished mysteriously. He'd refused to talk about the incident, but there had been a subtle tension in his movements ever since. Kung Lao hesitated on the verge of returning, but finally decided against it. There was enough trouble with what Rayden had already told him; he didn't need to go looking for more.

* * *

Titania pushed open the door of the trading post with a sigh. She distrusted Fog and his new attitude confounded her. If not for her foreknowledge, she might have worried that he would disrupt her plans. _The advantage of being me_, she thought with a smile.

Her mind was clearer now. Oberon's death would always be her sorrow, but it would not destroy her. She would find joy again, somehow. And her people needed her.

She found the ornate tub in Taja's room. The corner knob twisted easily under her hand and the red crystal seemed to flow into her palm. It hummed happily against her skin and she felt a thrill as she recognized her brother's magic. She studied the gem critically. Yes, she knew how to use it. Pocketing it, she exited the room and swiftly descended the stairs.

Not swiftly enough. The door of the trading post banged open and laughter echoed. Titania crouched on the stairs and debated magicking herself away. Something in the laughter made her hesitate. Something familiar...

* * *

It was very late when Rayden finally left the tavern. If he'd been sober, he'd never have brought the girl with him. But all the rooms at the tavern were full and being drunk didn't make him any less stubborn. So he brought her home.

At least he had the presence of mind to bring her to his warriors' home rather than his own.

The door was barred when they arrived. "Kung Lao?" he called drunkenly, banging on the door. When it didn't give way immediately, he did something else he would never have done when sober: he blasted the door open. With a clumsy gesture, he invited the lady (_hah!_) to enter.

She gave a delighted cry as the door swung open. "How'd you do that?" she giggled.

"It was my sparkling personality," he replied sarcastically. "Kung Lao!" When there was still no response, he looked around with a frown. "Is there some sort of holiday I'm not aware of? Taja!" Still nothing. "Oh, Siro?"

The girl was looking around too, and was seemingly unimpressed with her host's abode. "So is this where you live?"

Rayden slipped an arm around her shoulders, dismissing the missing mortals from his mind. "Oh no, these are friends of mine. It's very comfortable...and there's a bunch of extra beds..." He pulled her into a narrow hallway. "Let's get some food..."

She let herself be drawn. "Are you sure they won't mind?"

"No, not at all," Rayden hushed her. "They _worship_ me. I'm like a father to them." He thought he heard a disgusted snort, but ignored it. A drunken hallucination of what Taja would surely say if she'd heard his words. He pulled the girl closer, cupping her cheeks in his hands. "And so should you."

As she leaned in to kiss him, Rayden tried not to think of the blonde he _really_ wanted to be kissing. The girl's lips were soft, sticky with a combination of makeup and ale.

"Oh, Ray!" she giggled as he lifted her in his arms. "My wonder god!"

That made him smile in spite of himself and he kissed her again.

"I like that."

She giggled and snuggled against him. No, not at all like the other blonde. He pushed all thoughts of Titania from his mind and headed for the bedroom. "Now you're to do exactly as I say..."

She was still giggling as he walked through the darkened doorway and deposited her on the low bed, quickly following her down.

* * *

It was later still, as the girl (he'd never learned her name) was dressing and Rayden was growing sober enough to be disgusted with himself, that he began to realize the enormity of what he had drowned out. He was flirting with the blonde appreciatively as she tied her sash around her waist when the pain hit him.

He slumped forward, leaning against a nearby desk for support.

"What's the matter?" the girl asked.

Rayden groaned against the pain and shook his head distractedly. "Something's wrong..."

"Well let me get you some water," she said, sounding both confused and concerned. As she turned away, the pain intensified.

He grunted against the onslaught and suddenly had a vision of Kung Lao, trapped, in pain. "Very wrong," he gasped, and vanished.

The girl drew a dipper of cool water. "You'll feel better," she replied, then looked up. "Ray?" After studying the empty room for a minute, she twirled a lock of hair around her fingers and pouted. "So I guess I'll hear from you soon? Hm..."

She slunk out of the bedroom and gave a startled "oh!"

Titania sat in a chair near the center of the room. Her ankles were crossed demurely, hands folded in her lap. Her simple gray clothes had morphed into a form-fitting red dress decorated with golden leaves. Her back was ramrod straight and her eyes glittered blackly in a way that would have terrified the girl had she known that Titania's eyes were normally pale, icy blue. She was as still as a statue, staring at the girl as if she'd been waiting just there all night (which, in fact, she had).

"Um, have you seen Ray?" the girl asked, nonplussed.

Titania's eyes narrowed dangerously, the first movement she'd made in hours. How _dare_ this pathetic slut of a mortal address Lord Rayden with a such a ridiculous nickname!

"Get out," she snapped.

The girl put on hand on her hip and managed to look both bored and defiant at once. "Honey, I don't know about you but I was _invited_ here by Ra-"

Titania was on her feet mere inches away before the girl even realized she'd moved. "How _dare_ you!" The goddess's voice dripped with loathing. "Get. _Out!_"

The girl got out.

Titania quivered with impotent jealousy and rage. She'd been momentarily worried by Rayden's abrupt departure, but all other emotions were quickly drowned out when his mistress appeared so nonchalantly. It wasn't truly the girl she was mad at. She'd spent all night _listening_ to them, listening to him betray her. He was cruel, cruel, cruel to take his revenge on her in such a way!

Abruptly her anger left and her strength fled with it. She fell roughly to the floor as her legs refused to support her. "I drove him to this," she whispered. "My betrayal was first."

She bowed her head, her hair falling around her like a silver-gold waterfall. A sob was ripped from her throat before she clasped a muffling hand over her mouth.

"I didn't mean to," she whispered forlornly to the empty room. "I didn't mean to..."

* * *

It only took a moment for Rayden to assess the situation. The scene before him was one of barely-restrained chaos. A large, screaming mob had gathered before an altar - an altar surrounded by Shao Kahn's elite shadow priests. He could tell that one of them had been fighting Kung Lao, but the battle was nearly over.

The priest had the monk pinned to the ground. All around him, fanatics were chanting the emperor's name. Siro and Taja were screaming at him, but the priest paid them no mind as he slowly raised his sword. As he began the swift downward stroke, Rayden's godly powers surged forward, his voice cutting through the shouts.

"Kung Lao!"

A bolt of lightning struck the priest, knocking him away from Kung Lao and forcing him to drop his sword as he squirmed in agony. The crowd's cries turned to panic as they drew back from the altar. High on a pillar, pure white light coiled around the thunder god. He raised his arms as they watched, calling more lightning to him in a truly terrifying show of might.

"Rayden!" Siro exclaimed with a relieved grin.

"About time!" Taja added, shaking free of her terrified captors.

The god's eyes were fixed on the far side of the altar. "Shao Kahn's secret portal," he said grimly. "I always knew he had one."

"He's got these people guarding it," Taja added as the trio rushed forward to Rayden's pillar. Kung Lao had regained his feet and limped to join them.

Lightning danced. "NO MORE!" Rayden bellowed.

He was still berating himself for missing this hidden city all these years when the next bit of treachery happened.

A mortal woman pulled the head priest aside. "They're all here now. You've got to protect me. Get me to Shao Kahn!" she demanded frantically. Her eyes skittered nervously from Rayden to the priest. "NOW!"

Wordlessly, the hooded priest inserted a crude key into the idol behind the altar. The portal widened, but as the priest withdrew the key, he turned and stabbed the woman. Without breaking stride, he gathered her limp form in his arms and carried her through the portal.

Taja's anguished cry rent the air above the panicked cries of the crowd and in that moment Rayden perceived many things. The woman was someone close to Taja, thus she was the trio's reason for being in this cursed city. Thus, she had also betrayed them to their worst enemy. Them and all of Earthrealm. _Not unlike another_. A stony expression settled over Rayden's features.

"The portal..." Kung Lao was speaking. "it won't close. Not without the key."

Rayden turned to them. "I split the rocks. The way out is open. Go." They hesitated. Rayden glared at them. This was no longer the affair of mortals, but their safety was his first priority. "NOW!" Power danced in his veins and his warriors turned and carefully fled through the crowd, heading for the rock crevasse that was the only exit to the city.

Satisfied that they were safe, Rayden turned his attention to the mob. "Your _god_ has abandoned you!" Those still remaining muttered and cried out in protest. "_Leave_," Rayden ordered. When they continued to ignore him, he sent a lightning burst threateningly over their heads. At last they broke and ran, bolts zapping the ground behind them. Rayden sensed that his warriors had reached the exit.

At last he was free to act against the one who had taken so much from him and would destroy everything he held dear. Power raged through him, a welcome inferno.

He stepped to the edge of the portal, staring into its depths. "Shao Kahn!" he yelled. After a pause, he shot a powerful bolt of lightning blindly into the portal. "Shao Kahn! ..._SHAO KAHN!_"

Finally, a voice echoed from the swirling darkness. Shao Kahn, speaking from Outworld. "You...will bow to me."

Rayden's jaw clenched. "Never."

He couldn't see Shao Kahn, but he could sense the other's confidence. "You _will_."

They entered the portal at the exact same moment, meeting face to face across a span of realms that was both infinite and infinitesimally small.

"Stay where you are!" Rayden ordered.

A sword slid into Shao Kahn's hand. "You can't stop me, Rayden. No one can!"

"I said stay back!" Rayden repeated, approaching cautiously. "I found your invasion route. Now remove it."

"Well, it's served its purpose," the emperor replied casually. "The day of reckoning is here, Rayden! Enemies _will_ fall. Names will be erased from memory."

Unphased, Rayden replied, "You can do nothing."

"Will you stop me?" he demanded suddenly, leveling his sword at the thunder god.

"Yes!" Rayden took a deep breath and let his power flow through him in torrents of electric fire . "I am Rayden. God of _Thunder_!" Lightning crackled around him blindingly as he faced his nemesis. "Protector of Earthrealm."

"And I," the emperor replied, not to be outdone, "am Shao Kahn." He raised is sword. "Conqueror of Realms...and Emperor of Outworld!" He launched an attack of green fire and was met with white light.

Once again, brother fought brother, with the fate of all existence in the balance.

* * *

Titania was perched again on the familiar cliff. Seated cross-legged (after changing the extremely impractical dress for a pair of loose trousers and a midriff-baring top), she seemed both relaxed and alert at once. She had been watching the unusual roiling clouds for some time now. They bothered her, those unnatural clouds. She had lived under skies that color for centuries. Even now, with her true power restored, she had fled in terror when they first rolled across the city. She would not be caught again in Outworld's snare.

She could sense Fog somewhere in the middle of all that darkness. He was her creature now as much as Shao Kahn's. Every time she thought she was free of him, he managed to bind himself more tightly to her plans. She frowned and debated summoning him, to question him about the darkness, but she feared the consequences. The clouds reached outwards like the arms of the Emperor and she dared not summon one of his creatures while his presence weighed so heavily on Earthrealm. She dared not risk attracting his attention.

Eventually she rose and made her way slowly down the cliff towards the village, once again tracing the route to Kung Lao's trading post. The city was in shambles. Aftershocks still shook the earth periodically. It was as if the land itself fought against Outworld. She kept her eyes on the ground very deliberately.

She walked easily into the trading post. The heavy door was splintered on the edges and crookedly, and ineffectively, blocked the entrance. Inside, it looked as if a whirlwind had been let loose. Stepping gingerly, she paused just inside the entrance. The building was silent, with the subtle air of abandonment. Wherever Kung Lao and the others were, it wasn't guarding their home from whatever Outworld had unleashed.

Stepping back outside, she finally let her gaze focus on the dark clouds, suppressing the shudder of fear and revulsion that rippled through her. It seemed that everything was happening in the middle of that evil miasma. There was nothing for it. Fears or not, she meant to be a part of these events. Her mouth twisted sourly. She could not even magic herself there without risking detection; she would have to follow on foot and hope she was not too late. She owed it to Rayden, and to Earthrealm.

Clenching her fists around sweaty palms, Titania began her journey into the heart of darkness.


	12. Chapter 11 – Worlds Within Worlds

Chapter 11 - Worlds Within Worlds

_Conspiracy  
a million watery ears  
beneath our skin to hear  
that we all want to be each other  
(that we already are)_

"I should have destroyed you long ago." Rayden said coldly. Shao Kahn grinned in response.

"A mistake. A fall, Rayden. You're full of many...spent too much time with the mortals." He paused. "Not much of an enemy to fear."

Rayden glared at him. "Your downfall will come from the joining of all those who hate you."

"Ooh!" Shao Kahn mocked. "Consumed by your passion to see me gone." A smirk twisted his face. "Just remember Rayden. Too much desire...can kill."

_Desire?_ Icy rage settled over Rayden. If Shao Kahn was taunting him about Titania...

"What if I," Shao Kahn continued, "stepped through that portal." He lifted a hand to point lazily at the swirling vortex behind Rayden. "Right now."

Rayden glanced at the portal distractedly. "The Elder Gods would destroy you," he drawled.

"You're sure?" the emperor asked quickly, earning a suspicious frown from Rayden. "The decree was only that I couldn't _take_ Earthrealm. I have to fight for it-"

"-In Mortal Kombat."

"Maybe that too is merely a myth, if you don't attempt to keep me out."

Rayden snorted. "You know that's not true. It's the law of the gods. Besides, you'd never make it to the opening." He folded his arms across his chest. "You'd have to go through me." _And I have so _many _debts to settle, brother!_

"Ah...yes," Shao Kahn murmured. "I have to deal with _you_." He pursed his lips thoughtfully.

"Fiercely protective. But you weren't always like that." He eyed his brother curiously. "What happened? Did you change them...or did they change you?"

_Starlight and the smell of the ocean. Sun-kissed hair. A soft touch that penetrated to the core of his being..._

"What do _you_ care?" Rayden growled.

Shao Kahn shrugged. "Curious...but tell me. Do you preach the same message to them that I give to my warriors?"

_Warriors? Kung Lao? _Rayden frowned. "You're rambling. What message?"

"Know your enemy. Find his weakness. Exploit it. It's a smart move isn't it?"

_Of course it's about Kung Lao! _Rayden's thoughts crystalized. Shao Kahn _didn't_ know that his seer and the goddess Titania were one and the same. His only concern was the last victor of Mortal Kombat. _As should be mine!_

Rayden looked to portal suddenly. Through the swirling ether he could sense his trio of fighters approaching. They seemed worried...about him? _I told them to leave the city! _With rising panic, Rayden wondered how much time had passed in this place between realms. "What have you done?" he demanded.

"I studied your three mortals," Shao Kahn smirked. The trap was set and his prey had taken the bait. "Their weaknesses are the very things you hold in this battle. Caring. Compassion. Friendship." He sneered. "It's going to kill all of you."

Through the portal, Shao Kahn's elite Shadow Priests appeared and quickly surrounded the trio. _Only a few, _Rayden thought tensely. _There might still be a chance..._

_"_All I had to do," the emperor continued, "was keep you here long enough and they would come." He laughed. "You made great bait!"

Rayden's expression grew worried and he stepped quickly towards the portal. "Kung Lao!" he yelled into it. "Stay back! They're going to kill you!"

Even as he spoke, the battle began. Rayden could only watch in horror as more and more Shadow Priests appeared to join the battle. _Too many! I have to go back!_

_"_They're dead, Rayden!" Shao Kahn snarled suddenly, launching himself at the thunder god. Rayden was barely able to defend himself in time.

_Hold on, Kung Lao!

* * *

_

Titania had just emerged from a crevice in a thick rock wall, startled to find a city on the other side, when the air suddenly changed. The horrible tension that had permeated everything vanished and the boiling clouds stopped spewing blackness and began to fade to fluffy white again. It was over, whatever it was. She had a moment of relief before anxiety filled her.

Was she too late? What was happening in the center of the hidden city? Overwhelmed by a sense of urgency, she teleported inside instantly.

Her eyes widened at the sight that met her eyes, and she stumbled backwards instinctively. Dead bodies littered the earth. Some were Shao Kahn's shadow priests, but others were ordinary people who must have lived in this city. Fog was standing near a sinister altar that was slick with blackening blood, cleaning a long, wicked looking knife. Titania's nostrils flared at the sickly sweet scent of death.

"What have you done?" she breathed. Her voice was high-pitched, edging on panic.

Fog jumped at the sound and whirled to face her. Fear crossed _his_ face and he moved as if to hide something from her, but Titania's eyes were sharp even if her wits had deserted her.

A familiar body lay crumpled against the altar.

* * *

When gods fight, whole worlds tremble.

All of the betrayals, the rage, the hatred...waiting for centuries for the two brothers to come face to face again. A fight was inevitable.

Unfortunately, Rayden's thoughts were muddled with worry for his warriors.

Shao Kahn had revealed a wicked looking sword early in the battle and Rayden quickly produced his war hammer. He disarmed the emperor with surprising ease and tossed his weapon aside to meet Shao Kahn hand-to-hand. Normally the brothers would be near equal in combat skills, but Rayden was letting his fear distract him. If Kung Lao died, the hope of Earthrealm died with him. _Stupid, stupid,_ Rayden cursed himself. _Did you think Shao Kahn spent all that time talking for the fun of it?_

Twice his shame almost cost him the fight, but in the end the emperor lay helpless on the ground. Defeated again, Rayden thought with bitter triumph.

Panting from the exertion, his silver hair in disarray, Rayden took a deep breath and raised his fist, preparing one final attack. "Go back to Outworld!" he snarled, launching the lightning ball directly into Shao Kahn's face with as much force as he could muster.

...Nothing happened.

Perplexed, he tried again.

Nothing. _The lightning was gone!_

Shao Kahn began to chuckle, then laugh outright at Rayden's confusion. "You're already in Outworld!" he roared. Relishing the stunned look on the thunder god's face, Shao Kahn climbed to his feet. "You gave me the time, Rayden."

Too late he realized that Shao Kahn's trap had been twofold - not only to deliver Kung Lao into the waiting arms of the Shadow Priests, but to lure Rayden into Outworld as well. All he needed to do was distract Rayden while he closed the portal to Earthrealm.

No more world between worlds. Only Outworld.

Which meant his powers were gone. Rayden was now as mortal as any human. Oh, he could still fight...but how can one mortal fighter hope to hold out against a god? Rayden struggled to defend himself, but now he was no match for Shao Kahn's superior speed and strength.

Within moments their positions were reversed, Shao Kahn gripping Rayden in a stranglehold. "Time to transport you-" He punched the (former) god in the face. "And your friends-" Rayden collapsed in a boneless heap as Shao Kahn threw him aside. "And the entire city!" With those words, he launched a flying kick into his brother's face. Green fire seared Rayden's skin.

"You...are now...in _my_ realm."

The last thing he saw was Shao Kahn's fist coming towards his face.

* * *

Fog casually sidestepped Titania's hurtling form, relieved that her ineptitude as a fighter was not one of the traits that was limited to her life as Mist. He grabbed her wrist as she flew by, spinning her around so that she lost her footing and tumbled to the ground.

Snorting, he rolled his eyes as his fellow shadow priests. "I'll take care of this last piece of business. Report back to Outworld. The emperor will be waiting."

Titania, slightly stunned from the fall, had risen to her knees. Her eyes as they focused on Fog were bleeding to black. _She's remembering that she doesn't have to use physical attacks!_ He had only moments to stop her.

The other shadow priests were lingering. Fog glared at them. "What are you waiting for? _Go!_"

They went.

Immediately Fog turned to Titania and dropped to one knee. He took her hands in his own, bowing his head. "Forgive me, Mistress. I was only following orders."

"_Whose?_" she asked in a dreadful voice that made a chill run down his spine.

"Why, Shao Kahn's of course. I _am_ still his slave." He removed his cowl and affected a confused, innocent expression. "I waited as long as I could, hoping you would buy my freedom before I had to act against your will," he added quickly.

She was still staring at him with that blank expression, but as he was decidedly un-smote, he continued rambling. "I thought it might work out fine after Rayden showed up and sent the Earth warriors away, but then they came back and I felt Shao Kahn's eyes on me, so I had no choice but to act. I really am _very_ sorry but there was nothing I could do. Please believe me Mistress!" He added a bit of pleading desperation to his voice that was only half-feigned.

It was working. Titania rocked back on her heels and the crazed look faded from her face. "Well-played, Fog," she murmured, shaking her head. "I've forgotten how to live in this body, with this power." She looked sadly at the bodies littering the city around her.

"How can this be?" she whispered, covering her mouth with her hand. Fog said nothing, merely bowing his head.

He let the horrifying silence stretch for a moment longer, then spoke with quiet intensity. "There is only one thing to be done." She turned towards him and he held her gaze solemnly. "You must go to Outworld and challenge Shao Kahn, as Rayden did. Where one failed, another may succeed!"

She was shaking her head before he finished speaking, then froze. "_Rayden _did? And _failed_?"

Fog looked away, then nodded. He heard he pained gasp. _Gotcha_, he thought, hiding a smirk. If she would not go to Outworld for Fog's sake, she would go for the thunder god.

When he looked back, her eyes were closed and she was breathing deeply and evenly. She stood abruptly, a thin veneer of control covering her anxiety. "So it must be," she whispered, turning her back on the carnage. "So it must be and I must trust what I've seen. Fog!"

He rose and faced her. Power rippled around her like a wave and he nearly grinned. _This_ was the powerful creature who could take on the emperor. "We go to Outworld!" she ordered. "But first..."

She made a curious gesture and a familiar crystal orb appeared at her fingertips. She stared into it with a small frown of concentration. "I dare not enter Outworld with my full abilities. Shao Kahn would sense it in an instant." Fog's fragile new hope shattered. If she couldn't face Shao Kahn at full capacity, how did she expect to win? "I have placed most of my power within this crystal, but the seal is self-made and the temptation to release it may be too much. Death is a better fate than revealing what I am or where I'm from to the emperor of Outworld." She held the gem out to Fog. "I give this to you as a token...and a promise. I _will_ buy your service from Shao Kahn."

Fog accepted the orb reverently. Inside, his dashed hopes reassembled themselves and cavorted gleefully. She had all but admitted that the magic in _this_ crystal was much easier to access than the one she'd previously had. If she failed or broke her word, _he_ would have the power of a god at his command. He bowed smugly. "An _honor_ to serve," he drawled.

She eyed him uncertainly, then took a deep breath and visibly steeled herself.

"Let's go to Outworld!"


	13. Chapter 12 – Divine Intervention

Chapter 12 - Divine Intervention

_I would rather be ashes than dust.  
I would rather my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled in dry-rot.  
I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet.  
Man's chief purpose is to live, not to exist.  
I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them.  
I shall use my time._

Titania and Fog huddled in a hidden alcove outside the emperor's throne room. Fog was still dressed in his customary shadow priest garb, but he had produced a smothering black robe for Titania. Safely concealed in the shadows, she peered cautiously around the corner.

Shao Kahn sat on his horrible throne, a great chair with giant metal beams looming up behind it and casting eerie shadows throughout the room. It was an improvement over the throne of bone she'd faced ages ago with Oberon, she thought critically. He sat casually, triumphantly, as two of his shadow priests dragged a tattered form forward. Shao Kahn rose and descended to meet his brother, chuckling deep in his throat. A chest was sitting on a pedestal near the throne, which he opened gleefully.

Fog tugged her away. "We should be _anywhere_ but here," he hissed.

"No!" Titania shook her head and whispered quickly, "I want to hear what he's saying." She edged into the throne room, her back pressed into the wall as she slid forward soundlessly. Her eyes darted between Shao Kahn and Rayden. She could almost see his face...why didn't he lift his head?

Shao Kahn was lifting items out of the chest and presenting them to the thunder god.

"...dead. A bodyguard, dead. A thief, dead." With each item he named a different enemy. The last thing to come from the chest was a torn beige shirt. "A champion," he said softly, and Rayden finally looked up. Titania felt her heart clench. She couldn't tell if he was about to lose his lunch or burst into tears. He looked so..._defeated_.

And guilty. Realization struck Titania. What was _he _doing when his warriors were entering Shao Kahn's cursed city? And _who _drove him to it? She bowed her head in shared sorrow as Shao Kahn tossed Kung Lao's bloodied shirt in Rayden's face.

"...dead," he finished, sounding pleased. Closing the chest, he faced Rayden.

"You...will...BOW...to...me." The last word was a sigh of exquisite pleasure and Titania cringed as the guards knocked Rayden to his knees. He fell clumsily, weakly, and Shao Kahn laughed. Raising his fist, he clubbed Rayden roughly across the face. When the thunder god fell bonelessly to the ground, unmoving, Titania fled.

Fog was still lurking outside the door. "Is he _dead_?" he hissed. They moved quickly away from the throne room.

Titania shook her head. "I...I don't think so. No, Shao Kahn has waited too long for this day. He won't dispose of his new pet so quickly." Her voice sounded harsh and foreign to her ears. She stumbled. Was it really over so quickly? She had meant to prevent this day from coming. She, of all people, should have known better than to attempt to tamper with the future.

Fog grabbed her arm, steadying her even as he hurried her along. "Get ahold of yourself, woman!" he ordered under his breath.

Before long they reached a jagged wooden door, a pile of boards haphazardly shoved into a crevice. Fog shoved her through it into a tiny closet-sized space. There was barely room for both of them once he shut the door.

Titania had a vice-like grip on Fog's shoulders. "You must find him!" she implored. "You must find out where he's being held, before it's too late! No mortal can endure Shao Kahn's tortures for long. I should know!"

"Be still!" Fog growled, pushing her away as much as he could in the small space. She took a deep breath and visibly tried to calm herself, but small tremors still ran through her body. "As you said, Shao Kahn won't destroy Rayden so quickly. As soon as the emperor's done playing with his new toy, they'll put him in a cell. And when they do, I'll know of it." His eyes gleamed in the dim light. "You can't keep secrets from a shadow priest."

He peered cautiously out of the crevice. "Just...wait here and try to calm down," he muttered over his shoulder as he slipped out. "You should be _angry_, not frightened. You're a _goddess_ for crying out loud!" Then he was gone.

Titania's tremors slowly began to fade, his words echoing in her ears.

_You're a _goddess _for crying out loud!_

"You're absolutely right," she said to the quiet darkness. "Absolutely right."

Then she smiled and closed her eyes.

Time passed. Perhaps hours, perhaps days.

When Fog returned, he was surprised to see Titania seated sedately on the floor, eyes closed and back straight. Lashes fluttered as her eyes opened slowly. The gaze that met his held only serenity and quiet strength.

"You have found him." At his nod, she rose smoothly for her feet and wrapped her dark cloak around her. "Show me," she ordered in a voice muffled by fabric.

There was no hesitation in her steps as she followed him through the dim hallways. Her feet were stealthy, but her movements were confident, as if she knew exactly where she was going and what she was going to do when she got there.

She moved as if she had a destiny.

_Tap_.

As they rounded the last corner, Fog froze.

_Tip tap_.

"What is it?" Titania's whisper was warm against the back of his neck, she'd been following so close.

_Tip tap TAP._

The shadows suddenly came alive in the darkness.

Titania's startled gasp was lost as Fog shoved her behind him with a yell. Figures clad in outfits identical to his were materializing on all sides. Shadow Priests. Surrounding _him_. A cold pit formed in his belly.

"They know, they know," he moaned, eyes darting from side to side as he dropped into a fighting stance. Not as many as he'd seen take out Kung Lao, but more than enough to deal with one of their own. And Titania would be child's play for them.

Titania...

A glance over his shoulder revealed that she had placed her back to his, mimicking his stance with one hand outheld. Flame flickered from her hand, licking at her fingertips. The best her limited magic could manage.

As he stared at the flames, they seemed to envelop him warmly. She was using her magic, the magic that was supposed to be for saving her lover and the cherished Earthrealm, to protect _him._ He was...touched.

And then he was enraged. "Fool!" he snarled, shoving Titania flaming-hands-first through the tightening circle of Shadow Priests, then launching himself at the two priests who had dodged the flames and were preparing to follow her. "Run!" he screamed. "_Run!_"

She ran.

He didn't watch her go. He was too busy fighting a battle he could never win. It was the single, noblest thing he had done in his long life.

Too bad it would also be the last.

-

Shao Kahn paced in front of his throne. The action usually indicated nerves, but Kahn was merely...waiting. His elite guard were dealing with one final bit of treachery and then his vengeance would be complete. And Earthrealm awaited him, a tantalizing fruit, ripe for the plucking.

The measured pace of boots on stone disturbed his vigil and he spun toward the sound, tense and cautious. Shadow priests made no sound.

The figure that approached was cloaked in a dark robe, but the hood was thrown back boldly. For a moment in the dim light, Shao Kahn thought the spill of silvery hair was Rayden's, even though he knew the beaten dog was kneeling mutely beside his throne.

"You!" he spat as he recognized his traitorous fortune teller. "How did you get past the guards?"

She bared her teeth in a frosty smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I told them how they would die."

His features morphed into amusement. "And so she returns. Behold!" He waved an arm at the wretched mass huddled in the shadows. "The Thunder God," he smirked, "kneels before me."

She bowed her head in a slow nod. "Kung Lao is dead. Earthrealm falls." Her eyes glittered. "I am never wrong."

"And now?" He cocked his head to the side. "What do you see?"

"A reward." Her bold reply raised his eyebrows and she softened it with another bow, peering up at him coyly through lowered lashes. "For one who delivers."

"Oh really?"

"You already know that one of your shadow guard is a traitor." He snorted derisively and her voice hardened. "I want him. I want him to feel every blow that I felt because of _him._"

Shao Kahn nearly grinned. Such rage in a voice that was usually devoid of emotion! He'd had has own plans for one who dared betray the shadow priests, but this would serve nicely. And such a simple thing. "Done!" he barked, clapping his hands.

A writhing figure appeared on the floor, groaning as he attempted to fend off blows that no longer fell. As he realized his assailants had vanished, Fog subsided into miserable twitching. Titania nudged him with her boot, her expression skeptical. Shao Kahn chuckled, drawing her attention again. A slight frown flickered across her face.

"One more thing," she said slowly. Her eyes focused to the emperor's right. "I should dearly love to look into the eyes of the one who failed Earthrealm." Shao Kahn hesitated. But there was something piercing about her tone and he swore he saw the tattered cloak flinch.

"By all means," he agreed generously, savoring any chance to torment his brother.

Titania stepped over Fog's body and threw back her cloak. Underneath, she wore outlandish clothing the likes of which Shao Kahn had never seen. "Thunder God!" Her voice stunned him with his tone of command. "Come here!"

To Shao Kahn's surprise, the (former) Protector of Earthrealm lurched to his feet and limped forward with painful slowness. He shuddered with each step but apparently lacked the will to resist such an order. Shao Kahn was delighted. "So weak!" he smirked. "Like a dog, he obeys!"

What Shao Kahn did not know, could never have known, was that the divine bond Rayden had created between himself and Titania centuries ago was still in place. As a god, he would come if he chose. As a mortal, the compulsion was irresistible. A small part of him recognized the enslavement and resented this final betrayal, even though Titania could not have known the power she held over him.

He stopped only a few inches from her, his back straightening as he faced her. A sweep of his arm drew the ragged hood back and Titania gasped.

His face was a mass of purplish bruises and cuts, his hair bedraggled and matted on one side. In his eyes, she saw madness. Anger, sorrow, guilt...guilt enough to drown worlds. They were the eyes of a man who has seen all that is good and right fall into darkness. They were the eyes of a man with nothing left to live for.

"Rayden..."

At her shocked whisper, something in his face...twisted. Rage suffused it and, with a speed he should not have possessed in such a state, he swung his fist at her temple. She had a split second to recognize that the blow would crush her.

A split second was all she needed.

A split second to change the course of the future.

She stepped forward to meet his attack, right arm swinging in a wide arc that mirrored his own movement.

Their arms met with a thunderous _CRACK! _and lightning illuminated them both, zigzagging outward from their crossed arms.

Time stood still against the explosion of light and sound.

And Titania and Rayden vanished.

Shao Kahn blinked against the afterimage silhouetted on his eyelids, disbelief and outrage warring on his features. Yes, they were really gone.

"_FIND THEM!" _His roar nearly brought down the roof.

He barely noticed that Fog was gone too.

-

They reappeared someplace gray. Still Outworld.

Rayden swayed, his last strength spent in that final, useless attack. Titania caught him in her arms, lowering him to the dusty ground. Her body was sinfully warm and soft as she cradled him against her. She was trembling.

The man who lay on the ground beside Rayden, looking much like Rayden felt, began to cackle and wheeze. "Just like that, is it?"

Soft fingers stroked Rayden's face and he closed his eyes against the bliss of such a gentle touch after Shao Kahn's tortures. "Yes. Just like that." A pause. "The crystal?"

A scuffling sound, then Titania shifted as if leaning towards the man. "Thank you."

"I could have kept it," he said, his voice tired and rough with pain. "I was going to."

"If I failed, it would have been yours."

Heat blossomed behind Rayden and Titania's trembling stopped. "Ah," she sighed. "That's better. Come here, Fog, and let me heal you."

Another scuffling sound, and a voice almost in Rayden's ear, "Me, before him?"

"Fresh wounds are easier, and they'll be coming for us soon. I'll have to take more time with Rayden."

He shuddered at the sound of his name. Her voice. His name. Another kind of torture.

He must have drifted off. He pried his eyes open to see Titania kneeling over him and realized he was lying flat on the ground.

"How long?" Fog's voice came from beyond, sounding much more vigorous.

Rayden tried to turn away but she caught his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her. He gazed up into eyes that promised forever. "Not long at all," she whispered.

And the world turned upside down.

Her hands began to glow and her power moved through Rayden's body, so hot it almost burned, but at the same time the white, healing light felt so _good_. He groaned, his hands coming up to grip hers where they were locked onto his skull. "Not yet," she murmured through gritted teeth. "Oh no, Thunder God. We're not _nearly_ done yet."

He caught her intention a split second before she acted and tried to brace himself, but how can a mere human stand against a goddess? She brushed past his defenses, pouring into his mind, showing him everything. _I want you to understand_, her thoughts whispered to him. _Please understand!_ He sensed deep, aching loneliness, the bitterness of loss, and above all else, love. Love for him, love for Earthrealm, love for humanity.

_I could never do this if we were in Earthrealm_, she told him, and reached for the black ball of emotions that he had locked deep within himself. It had begun to grow the day he lost her long ago, and been compounded with every loss, every mistake, every betrayal. Far too many of which were connected to her. White light enveloped the darkness, soothing its poison and sealing it away.

"My last gift to you," and her voice was no longer in his head but close by his ear," is the gift of clear thought. Only temporary, but you will be able to remember without pain. You will need to tell them everything."

He was pulled to his feet, no longer in physical pain but reeling from the wealth of memories Titania had shared. Strong arms dragged him forward and suddenly the sun was shining in his face. His immortality returned, filling a void he hadn't realized existed until it was gone. He nearly wept. _Home_.

He opened his eyes. An ancient building loomed before him. The temple of the Elder Gods.

Shao Kahn. Mortal Kombat. _Kung Lao._

Rayden's jaw clenched in determination and he staggered forward. The laws had been broken. They had to be informed. He would have to explain. He would have to tell them...

_You will need to tell them everything._

He stumbled, almost looked back, forced himself to keep moving. There would be time for Titania later.

Now, he had a world to save.


	14. Epilogue – To Live

Epilogue - To Live

_I walked away that summer _  
_With the world stretch out before_  
_I had so much already_  
_But I wanted so much more_  
_But in this world of fears_  
_I was so naive_  
_I walked into their arms and lost it all _

_Now I long for home_

Fog glanced at Titania as Rayden disappeared into the temple. "Now what?"

Titania stared after him almost wistfully and sighed. "Now it's up to him," she said, turning her back on the temple.

"Did you know it would happen like this?" Fog asked.

"I knew enough," she replied, moving towards the edge of the cliff.

"Did you know you would fall in love?" he called after her.

She stopped and was silent for a long moment. "To look into your own future is to invite madness," she said at last, continuing onward. He wondered if she spoke from personal experience.

Fog stepped up beside her, looking out over the forested land. It was early morning and the trees were a cheerful green-gold. "Now what?" he repeated. "I mean, for us?" he added when she arched an eyebrow at him.

"Us?" Her tone was amused. "You're free."

"I swore allegiance," Fog said, expression seriously.

"Yes," she inclined her head in a half nod. "And now you're free. Where I'm going, you cannot follow."

He blinked and stared at her. "You're not staying?"

She didn't seem to hear him, her gaze fixed intently on the trees, the sun, the sky. "Yes," she murmured to herself. "I will remember you like this. Full of warmth and life and promise. And hope."

She held out her hand and the red dimensional gem appeared in her palm. With a flick of her wrist and a shower of glitter, it came to life, opening a portal beside her. Fog took a half step forward. "Wait! What should I do now?"

She looked back at him, her eyes an inky black from the magic. An otherworldly breeze blew from the portal, making her silver hair dance in the sunlight. She smiled at him and though he did not see her lips move he heard the words clearly.

"Live," her voice whispered to him. She stepped through the portal and was gone. "You should live."

* * *

Rayden emerged from the temple feeling only slightly better than when he'd entered. An encounter with the Elder Gods was always exhausting, but at least they had listened.

Shao Kahn's work in Earthrealm would be undone. As punishment, the lives of all those he had murdered in his crazed rampage would be restored. With two notable exceptions.

As Rayden's punishment for the foolishness and neglect that let the situation get so out of hand, the Elder Gods would restore Kung Lao's life, but _only_ Kung Lao's life. Siro and Taja, far less _important_ than the Champion, would pay the price for Rayden forgetting his duties.

He moved to the edge of the cliff and stared out at the beautiful world that was once again miraculously safe. He owed Titania his gratitude, and an apology. Where _was_ Titania?

Something glittered at the corner of his vision and he looked up. A crystal wafted through the air, drifting towards him. As it neared, he saw that it was as transparent and fragile as a bubble. Indeed, as it touched his hand, it vanished in a sparkle of light. The light grew, flowing around him and rifling through his clothes and hair with warm fingers.

It was Titania, all around him and with him and through him. There were no words, but he didn't need them. He knew what the light was saying to him.

It said _I'm sorry_ and _Please forgive me_ and _I love you._ Above all else, _I love you._

Then it was gone and he was alone, and he knew that it had said one other thing as well.

_Goodbye_.

Rayden turned his face away from the joyful sun. He was alone.

He clenched his fists, then forced them to relax. In the city, Kung Lao would be waking up. Rayden would have to explain to him why he, too, was alone.

It was over.

It was beginning again.

It was Life.

_I forgive you.  
Freely and fully,  
without coercion or reservation.  
For what you did willingly,  
for what you did unwillingly,  
for what you watched and didn't stop,  
for what you saw and couldn't stop.  
For knowledge, thought, word, deed and intention.  
And this do I swear,  
friendship and faith between me and mine  
and thee and thine forever.  
This I do swear._


End file.
